ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Flood Control: Planning Permission

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to amend the Environment Agency's powers to influence planning decisions relating to sites at risk of flooding.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no proposals to amend the Environment Agency's powers to influence planning decisions on sites at risk of flooding. On 1 October 2006 we made the agency a statutory consultee for development proposals in flood risk areas(1). On 1 January 2007 we introduced a planning direction(2), which prohibits a local authority from granting permission for major development in a flood risk area, to which the agency maintains an objection, without first sending details to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to consider whether it should be called-in for decision. We believe that these two measures provide the agency with sufficient powers to influence planning decisions on sites at risk of flooding. We will keep under review how these arrangements are working.
	(1) The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) (No.2) (England) Order 2006.
	(2) The Town and Country Planning (Flooding) (England) Direction 2007.

Sustainable Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Government's waste minimisation efforts in light of the recent evidence given by his Department's Director of Sustainable Consumption to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.

Joan Ruddock: Waste prevention and reuse are key parts of DEFRA's Waste Strategy for England 2007. The Government are committed to achieving the target in the Strategy of reducing household waste not re-used, recycled or composted from over 22.2 million tonnes in 2000 by 29 per cent. to 15.8 million tonnes in 2010 with an aspiration to reduce it to 12.2 million tonnes in 2020—a reduction of 45 per cent. This is a challenging target, but we are confident that it can be met through measures planned and already in place.
	In 2004-05 we had the first ever fall in the overall amount of municipal waste created. In the two years since then, we have seen only a 0.5 per cent. growth—far lower than historic trends.

Waste Disposal: Hazardous Substances

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much hazardous waste was produced in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by primary source; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 29 January 2008
	The table shown gives the tonnages of hazardous waste produced in the UK in 2006 (the most recent period for which figures are available), broken down by primary source.
	This information is available from the Environment Agency's website using the free online 'hazardous waste interrogator' web-tool.
	
		
			  Source  Tonnage 
			 Mining and Minerals 38,281 
			 Agricultural and Food Production 1,350 
			 Wood and Paper Production 3,790 
			 Leather and Textile Production 2,551 
			 Petrol, Gas and Coal Refining/Treatment 27,368 
			 Inorganic Chemical Processes 128,767 
			 Organic Chemical Processes 2,093,000 
			 MFSU Paints, Varnish, Adhesive and Inks 117,886 
			 Photographic Industry 20,495 
			 Thermal Process Waste (inorganic) 156,189 
			 Metal Treatment and Coating Processes 134,325 
			 Shaping/Treatment of Metals and Plastics 72,784 
			 Oil and Oil/Water Mixtures 879,961 
			 Solvents 24,035 
			 Packaging, Cloths, Filter materials 61,108 
			 Not otherwise specified 557,287 
			 C and D Waste and Asbestos 705,307 
			 Healthcare 142,305 
			 Waste/Water Treatment and Water Industry 654,939 
			 Municipal and Similar Commercial Wastes 215,339 
			 Unclassified — 
			 Total 6,037,068

WALES

Aviation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what  (a) first-class and  (b) other flights he has taken since 28 June 2007; and on each occasion (i) how many staff travelled with him and (ii) what the cost of the travel was.

Paul Murphy: No first-class flights have been taken by the Secretary of State since 28 June 2007.
	In November 2007 standard return flights were taken from Cardiff to Belfast, at a total cost of £254.02. One official accompanied the Secretary of State.

Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.

Paul Murphy: My Department has not adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.
	As a small Department we have taken full advantage of the Carbon Trust's small and medium sized Business Toolkit. This resulted in a full Carbon Trust survey and follow up action plan in 2006. All actions points raised have been implemented together
	with the introduction of a robust recycling programme.
	My Department offset 307.70 tonnes of emissions, through PURE, the Clean Planet Trust, in 2006-07.
	The Wales Office is currently establishing a sustainable development strategy to further assist in further reducing emissions.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Murphy: In each year since it's creation in July 1999, the Wales Office has employed three press and communications officers.

Departmental Recycling

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department is on course to meet the commitment in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is currently establishing a sustainable development strategy to ensure targets are met.
	We already have a robust recycling programme for white paper, mixed paper, cans, glass, plastic, cardboard and shredding. This amounts to 5,913 kgs from April to September 2007.
	A system is being implemented to record the weight of rubbish disposed of by the office, to enable the percentage recycled to be calculated. This will enable us to determine whether the target is being met, or whether more needs to be done to ensure that it is.

Official Engagements

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many days he spent in Wales on official business in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  what his official engagements were in December 2007.

Paul Murphy: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Renewable Energy

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department is on course to meet the commitment in the Sustainable Operations on the Government estate targets to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31st March 2008.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office receives 100 per cent. of its electricity from renewables.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Aldershot

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the estimated cost of security is at  (a) Olympic Village and  (b) Army Training Camp for the GB team at Aldershot (i) prior to the 2012 Games and (ii) during the Games; and from what budget this is charged.

Tessa Jowell: The Home Secretary is responsible for a safe and secure London 2012 Games. The multi-agency Olympic Security Directorate, headed by the Security Coordinator AC Ghaffur, is coordinating national cross-agency operational safety and security planning.
	Security of the Olympic Village during the construction period, including the costs, is the responsibility of the private sector developer and is being fully co-ordinated within the overall security approach. The private sector developer's security costs are a matter for them.
	During the operational period of the games LOCOG, working with the Olympic Security Directorate on planning, is responsible for ensuring security of the village and meeting the core costs of delivering this out of its £2 billion privately funded budget.
	Members of the Great Britain London 2012 squad, and their support staff, based at Aldershot Garrison in the run-up to the Games, will benefit from the high levels of security inherent in a military site. Additional on-site security measures will be met by the British Olympic Association. The scale of charges that the BOA will pay is a matter for them.

Olympic Games 2012: Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much has been spent on consultants in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: To date the total cost incurred for consultants employed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in preparation for the 2012 Olympics is £2,400,115. The total expenditure on consultants by the former Olympic Programme Support Unit (OPSU) is £1,167,447. The functions of OPSU were transferred to the DCMS on 14 September 2007.
	In my previous answer to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent, (Hugh Robertson) dated 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 977W, I stated that £50,494,000 had been spent on consultancies providing core services by the Olympic Delivery Authority in 2006-07. In the financial year 2007-08, to date, a further £94,272,290 has been spent on similar work, central to the delivery of facilities and infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This reflects the increasing pace of the project.
	Around £100 million of the total figure relates to contracts with three companies (EDAW, Ove Arup and Atkins) which have been integral in the start-up and development of the ODA, and in delivering the key milestones around planning and preparing the park to enable the programme to be on track and hitting milestones. They have therefore been important partners in the delivery programme.
	All ODA expenditure on consultants is within the baseline budget announced in December 2007. This budget was subject to a process of rigorous review to ensure that it was fully aligned with scope, programme and risks, and is subject to monthly monitoring by the Government Olympic Executive.

Olympic Games 2012: Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the 10 highest salaries are of staff working on preparations for the 2012 Olympics whose salaries are paid from the public purse.

Tessa Jowell: The following table shows the 2007-08 salaries of the 10 highest paid staff working directly on the preparations for the 2012 Olympics in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and paid from the public purse. It does not include staff employed by the ODA's Delivery Partner, and the ODA's contractors.
	
		
			  Position/organisation ( 1) Salary (£) 
			 Chief Executive, ODA 372,600 
			 Director of Construction, ODA 258,750 
			 Director of Finance and Corporate Services, ODA 253,624 
			 Director General, Government Olympic Executive 220,000 
			 Director of Design and Regeneration, ODA 207,000 
			 Director of Transport, ODA 207,000 
			 Director of Property, ODA 207,000 
			 Director of Infrastructure and Utilities, ODA 207,000 
			 Director of Build and Finance, Government Olympic Executive 180,000 
			 Director of Communications, ODA 175,950 
			 (1) The figures are for basic salary only, and do not include for any performance related bonuses, taxable benefits and pension contributions. These additional benefits will be calculated at the financial year-end and detailed in the annual reports and accounts of the Department and the ODA which are laid before the House.

Olympics 2012

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the timetable is for a decision on whether the Lee Valley Regional Parking Authority will take over as the legacy vehicle for the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Decisions on the long-term ownership and management arrangements for the Olympic Park will be taken during 2008. In the meantime, the London Development Agency is acting as interim legacy client for the Park.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crimes of Violence: Belfast

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been arrested in connection with the incident in which two young men were publicly paraded with placards on the Shankill road, Belfast, on 11 January 2008; and what assessment he has made of whether there was a paramilitary involvement in that incident.

Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the PSNI that no persons have as yet been arrested in connection with this incident and inquiries into this matter continue. An assessment as to the possibility of paramilitary involvement is still being considered. All acts of criminality should be dealt with through the proper authorities and the criminal justice system and I urge anyone with information in relation to this incident to contact the PSNI.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Emergency Calls

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time taken by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each district command unit was to respond to  (a) emergency and  (b) routine calls from members of the public in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: As the PSNI does not record average response times for emergency and non-emergency calls for each DCU, the information requested is not available.
	The Northern Ireland Policing Board target is for the PSNI to record the percentage of emergency calls responded to within a 15 minute baseline target.
	As at the 18 January 2008 for the financial year to date, the number of emergency response calls where arrival time was available, responded to within 15 minutes, was 79.5 per cent.
	The Northern Ireland Policing Board is committed to working with the PSNI to improve response times to emergency calls—the 2007-10 Policing Plan contains a target to increase the percentage of emergency calls responded to within 15 minutes by 2 per cent. points.
	An important aspect of improving performance in this area will be the development of an automated system utilising the Barracuda Radio System to streamline the recording of arrival on site for both emergency and non-emergency calls and work is currently ongoing.

Public Expenditure

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the fiscal deficit in Northern Ireland was in each of the last three years for which figures are available; what it is projected to be for the next three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Department of Finance and Personnel published their Draft Regional Economic Strategy for Northern Ireland in January 2007. That document contains estimates of the fiscal deficit for Northern Ireland and can be found at:
	http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/res_final_draft_january_2007.pdf
	No centrally collated data is available for the fiscal balances for Northern Ireland.

Rape

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide a break-down by age of persons convicted of rape or attempted rape in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The following table gives the number convicted of rape or attempted rape broken down by age group.
	Data cover the calendar years 1996 to 2005 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Number convicted of rape or attempted rape by age group 1996-2005 
			   Age group   
			   10-17  18-24  25-29  30-39  40-49  50-59  60 and over  Missing( 1)  Total 
			 1996 0 3 2 1 4 4 0 1 15 
			 1997 0 2 3 9 4 3 0 0 21 
			 1998 1 2 2 5 4 3 1 0 18 
			 1999 0 1 2 2 2 0 1 0 8 
			 2000 0 0 1 2 4 2 1 0 10 
			 2001 0 3 1 4 3 5 1 0 17 
			 2002 0 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 10 
			 2003 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 0 10 
			 2004 0 1 3 3 3 5 3 0 18 
			 2005 1 0 0 1 3 1 2 0 8 
			 (1) Missing data relate to those offenders for whom age information is not available.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff in his Department were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: 86 people in my Department are currently issued with personal digital assistant devices. Of these, 36 are female and 50 are male. We do not hold this information broken down by year.
	Of the 86 people issued with personal digital devices, 14 are based in the Government Olympic Executive, of which five are female and nine are male.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The travel and subsistence costs within and outside UK incurred by the Department's officials in each of the last 10 years is set out in the table.
	The costs are expressed as a percentage of the Department's gross administration cost.
	
		
			  Financial year  Officials' UK travel and subsistence cost s  (£)  Percentage of gross administration cost  Officials' overseas travel and subsistence cost s  (£)  Percentage of gross administration cost 
			 2006-07 193,620.21 0.37 297,832.07 0.57 
			 2005-06 293,203.28 0.60 287,546.56 0.58 
			 2004-05 166,500.58 0.39 279,710.59 0.66 
			 2003-04 194,638.95 0.47 235,210.16 0.57 
			 2002-03 248,802.18 0.68 195,442.41 0.54 
			 2001-02 246,203.14 0.42 129,164.75 0.22 
			 2000-01 147,239.27 0.37 188,337.76 0.48 
			 1999-2000 141,325.38 0.36 193,742.97 0.50 
			 1998-99 80,852.42 0.23 151,307.28 0.43 
			 1997-98 67,874.95 0.32 175,061.96 0.82

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department's management information systems does not routinely collect information about the number of overseas visits and countries visited by officials. The data relating to these can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The overseas travel and subsistence costs incurred by the Department's officials in each of the last 10 years is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Officials' overseas travel and subsistence costs (£) 
			 2006-07 297,832.07 
			 2005-06 287,546.56 
			 2004-05 279,710.59 
			 2003-04 235,210.16 
			 2002-03 195,442.41 
			 2001-02 129,164.75 
			 2000-01 188,337.76 
			 1999-2000 193,742.97 
			 1998-99 151,307.28 
			 1997-98 175,061.96

Intimidation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases of bullying have been reported in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There have been no cases of bullying reported in DCMS or The Royal Parks Agency within the last 12 months.

Licensed Premises

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of licensed premises in England and Wales that have a terminal hour, on at least one day of the week, after 11 pm.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department does not hold detailed information on the licensed hours of the 177,200 licences and certificates that were in force in England and Wales on 31 March 2007. The actual closing times of a premises may, in any case, be earlier than the terminal hours granted on its licence. Data from the on-licensed trade suggest that 60 per cent. of outlets stop selling alcohol by 11 pm and that, on average across all on-licensed premises, closing times have increased by approximately 20 minutes since the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what payment is being made to Fast Track for the contract to help raise £100 million from the private sector to help fund athletes in the run up to the 2012 Olympics in London.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department and UK Sport are currently in discussion with Fast Track about the contractual arrangements for the project to raise £100 million from the private sector.
	We do not expect that public funding will be used to pay for this project.

Planning Permission: Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1167, on planning permission: playing fields, what the reasons were for the figures for 2005-06 not being published in 2007 as referred to in his answer of 9 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1296 on playing fields; and when he expects the figures to be published for  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 28 January 2008
	Sport England will be providing more extensive and revised information about planning applications for 2005-06 and retrospectively (2003-04 and 2004-05). The figures were not fully validated and finalised in time for publication last year as originally intended. We intend to publish these figures shortly. It is currently expected that figures for 2006-07 will be published later in the year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  many overseas visits were made by House of Commons staff in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and what the cost of the visits was in each year;
	(2)  how much was spent on travel by officials of the House  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of the House's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Nick Harvey: House of Commons staff travel within the UK and abroad chiefly when accompanying groups of Members on select committee visits, on delegations to international assemblies, on bilateral visits or for conferences. The cost of the staff element of official travel with Members cannot be disaggregated from the total, which amounted to some £2.65 million for UK and overseas visits in 2006-07. There have also been a small number of overseas visits by individual officials, mainly for the purpose of strengthening democratic institutions in other countries.

SCOTLAND

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office is an integral part of the IT systems of the Scottish Executive and does not undertake separate IT projects.

Power Stations

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of output Hunterston B Power Station was producing at the end of December 2007.

David Cairns: Information on individual power station output is not held in the form requested.
	Hunterston B Power Station has an installed capacity of 1190 MW. According to publicly available information from its operators, British Energy, the station is currently operating at a reduced level of 70 per cent. of full output, but on average generates sufficient electricity to supply almost half the households in Scotland.
	The recent announcement that its life will be extended by five years to at least 2016 is very welcome, given its continued importance to Scotland's energy supply mix.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Military Decorations

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the criteria are for award of the  (a) ISAF medal and  (b) Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan; for what reasons the ISAF medal may not be worn; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Operational Service Medal (OSM)—Afghanistan was instituted to recognise service in Afghanistan and in support of operations in that country from 11 September 2001. The qualifying criteria were initially published in Command Paper 5939 in September 2003 and amended in Command Paper 6935 in October 2006. Copies were placed in the Library of the House.
	Subsequently, NATO offered their ISAF medal to coalition troops taking part in NATO operations in Afghanistan from 1 June 2003. Qualification for the medal is completion of at least 30 days continuous or accumulated service.
	One of the key principles laid down by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals is that permission will not be given for UK citizens to accept a foreign award if they have received, or are expected to receive, a UK award for the same service.
	As the NATO medal now covers the same service as the national OSM—Afghanistan and thereby contravenes the 'double medalling' rule. UK personnel who are given the medal may retain it, but may not wear it.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to send the six Merlin helicopters recently procured from Denmark to Afghanistan.

Des Browne: The six Danish Merlin helicopters will increase the operational capability that can be delivered by our Merlin fleet. Merlin helicopters are currently deployed in Iraq. We are currently examining the balance of our helicopter force levels across theatres, including the deployment of Merlin helicopters to Afghanistan, subject to operational requirements.

Armed Forces: Asthma

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will review the medical criteria for acceptance into the armed forces of people with asthma;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that people with asthma are not automatically rejected upon application to the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 17 January 2008
	It is essential that all recruits to the armed forces are operationally effective, and the medical tests that they undergo on recruitment are designed to ensure this. Examining medical officers will consider each applicant on his or her own merit and apply their clinical judgement individually. Because of its potentially adverse effect on performance and respiratory fitness, and because of the requirement for long term access to respiratory medication, and possible associated medical care, candidates who have a current wheezing condition will in almost all cases be rejected. Candidates who have been free from symptoms and off all treatment for a period of at least four years may be considered for employment, subject to further assessment of their respiratory function.
	We do review the medical standards for entry to the armed forces on a regular basis, and update them as appropriate. The guidance on respiratory conditions was last reviewed and updated in September 2006.

Armed Forces: Inquests

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on legal representation for military inquests in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: A coroner's inquest is a non-adversarial fact-finding inquiry and in the majority of inquests MOD does not instruct a legal team. However, MOD as an interested person, does, in a minority of cases consider it would be of assistance to have Counsel present, particularly where deaths have occurred in complex and unusual circumstances and to assist the coroner in undertaking his statutory function.
	The amount spent by the Department on legal representation for military inquests in the UK and overseas each year since 2003 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003 9,357.12 
			 2004 61,841.16 
			 2005 76,265.40 
			 2006 276,589.91 
			 2007 736,228.07 
		
	
	These figures include external legal advice on inquest related matters as well as costs for representation at inquests. The increase in costs in 2006 and 2007 reflect the increased volume of inquests held in Oxfordshire following the provision of additional resources to clear the backlog of inquests into operational deaths overseas.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the peace establishment was of the  (a) 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh,  (b) 1st Battalion Irish Guards,  (c) 4th Battalion The Rifles and  (d) 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before its deployment to Iraq; what the strength was of the battalion on deployment; how many reinforcements to the battalion were received from (i) the regular Army, (ii) the Territorial Army and (iii) the regular Army Reserves; how many of all ranks remained in the UK (A) on recruitment duties, (B) as physically unfit to deploy and (C) in barracks in reserve; and what the battalion's battle casualty replacement policy is.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table provides the information requested.
	
		
			   2  R Welsh  4 Rifles  1  RHA  1  IG 
			 Peace Establishment prior to deployment 760 670 559 633 
			 Strength on Deployment 522 587 388 409 
			 Level of reinforcement from Regular Army 45 0 0 0 
			 Level of reinforcement from Reg. Reserves 1 0 0 0 
			 Level of reinforcement from Territorial Army 36 2 27 0 
			 Unit personnel left behind on recruiting duties 27 21 8 0 
			 Unit personnel physically unfit to deploy 21 20 30 23 
			 Rear Party Strength(1) 79 95 102 93 
			 (1) Figures for Rear Party strength exclude those personnel listed as physically unfit to deploy or on recruiting duties. 
		
	
	With regard to Battlefield Casualty Replacement policy I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 50W, which applies across the Army.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Department's budget is for the longer separation allowance.

Derek Twigg: The spend on longer separation allowance (LSA) for financial year 2006-07 was £119 million. For financial year 2007-08 this is forecast to be around £105 million.
	LSA forecasted spend is dependent on the circumstances of individuals deploying (i.e. precise time spent deployed, marital status).

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of members of each service enrolled for courses leading to additional  (a) military-related and  (b) non-military-related qualifications in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many successfully completed the courses; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The majority of personnel, when not on operations or leave, are engaged in some form of military-related training, much of which is accredited for delivering civilian qualifications, but the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table sets out the take-up of non-military related courses, expressed as a percentage of service strength, by personnel undertaking personal development using financial support provided through the armed forces learning credits schemes. Data on course completions are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  FY  Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force  Total 
			 2002-03 6.8 17.1 12.0 13.7 
			 2003-04 6.6 21.7 12.7 16.3 
			 2004-05 7.3 22.3 15.6 17.6 
			 2005-06 8.2 23.6 16.1 18.6 
			 2006-07 9.1 24.5 11.7 18.2 
			  Note: All years include the use of Standard Learning Credit, FY/05 onwards also includes the use of Enhanced Learning Credits introduced with effect from 1 April 2004.

Armed Forces: Schools

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has established a cross-UK forum of devolved administrations, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and his Department as part of the Tri-Service Schools Liaison Policy; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: We have established a cross-UK Service Children's Education Forum that brings together the MOD, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the devolved administration education authorities. The forum first met in April 2007 and meets twice a year to consider key issues facing service children, particularly relating to their movement around the UK and between UK and overseas as part of the service community.

Armed Forces: Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the recommendations contained in the Defence Committee report, Educating Service Children (HC (2005-06) 1054), have been implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I have written to the hon. Member in response to him raising this matter during the Armed Forces Personnel debate on 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 617. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 878W, on Armed Forces: Training, if he will list each type of aeroplane and helicopter from which British service personnel have made airborne jumps in the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: The types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft from which British service personnel have made airborne jumps while completing service training or display activities in the last five years are shown in the following list. Records for British service personnel, who have completed jumps from foreign military aircraft, are not held.
	 Fixed Wing
	Hercules C130 all marks
	Islander
	Skyvan
	CASA 212
	Cessna 206
	Cessna Caravan
	De Havilland Twin Otter DHC-6
	Douglas DC3 Dakota
	PAC 750
	Pilatus Porter
	 Rotary Wing
	Agusta A109
	Bell 212
	Chinook HC2/2a
	Lynx HAS3/8
	Lynx AH7/9
	Puma HC1
	Sea King HC4
	Sea King HAS6CR

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 897W, on departmental official hospitality, what records were kept of entertainment or hospitality received by past or present members of  (a) the Defence Council,  (b) the Defence Management Board,  (c) Defence Equipment and Support,  (d) Defence Estates,  (e) Science, Innovation and Technology TLB,  (f) Central TLB and  (g) Defence Export Services Organisation in each of the last three (i) financial and (ii) calendar years.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 January 2008
	Ministers, members of the senior civil service and commanding officers are required to keep Hospitality Books in which are recorded details of all hospitality offered to themselves or members of their staffer unit and whether an offer of hospitality has been accepted or declined.
	Detailed departmental rules governing the way in which Crown servants are to react to offers of gifts, reward, or hospitality from outside organisations are set out in a statement of civilian and service personnel policy. Hospitality Books are audited by senior officials and military officers.

Departmental Property

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's properties in Scotland have been declared unfit for habitation.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and it will take time to determine what information could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	I will write to my hon. Friend at the earliest opportunity.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure that blood transfusions given to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are screened effectively before use.

Derek Twigg: For use in routine transfusions, deployed UK military hospitals maintain stocks of blood sourced from UK National Blood Service (NBS) donor centres, which screen and test their donors according to nationally mandated standards. For most patients, this licensed blood is all that is used for their trauma care.
	However, in circumstances when standard blood stocks might not be appropriate where the properties of whole fresh blood are needed, an emergency blood transfusion from donors at a field hospital on or near the battlefield can be the only way of saving lives of gravely wounded UK personnel.
	To enable blood to be obtained in such an emergency, UK field hospitals have an Emergency Donor Panel (EDP), consisting of a group of pre-screened volunteer donors who are available to donate blood at short notice. The volunteer donors will have been screened for suitability in accordance with UK NBS guidelines prior to deployment. Prior to donating at an EDP, a further check is made through use of a health questionnaire and an examination of the veins. Blood samples are taken to confirm the blood group, and for retrospective testing by the UK NBS to confirm that the blood transfused remained free from Transfusion Transmitted Infections.
	Coalition partners in both Iraq and Afghanistan have their own procedures in place for pre- and post-screening of blood obtained from their equivalent of an EDP. If a seriously-injured UK casualty is being treated in a coalition medical facility, they may be given a life-saving transfusion of such blood for the same reasons as apply in a UK field hospital, and using the same procedures as would be used to treat one of their own nationals. We co-operate closely with coalition partners in developing world-class life-saving combat medical care work, and in reviewing procedures where appropriate.

TRANSPORT

Birmingham New Street Station

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the works to be completed at Birmingham New Street railway station are estimated to cost; and how much of this is expected to be met from public funds.

Tom Harris: Costs are subject to ongoing commercial negotiations by Birmingham city council and Network Rail. However, £128 million of Network Rail funding has already been committed in their Strategic Business Plan. Birmingham city council has bid for a £160 million contribution from the Department for Transport through the regional funding allocation. A separate bid for £100 million has been made by Advantage West Midlands to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Centro has pledged a further £10 million. The total cost includes several contributions from the private sector.

Birmingham New Street Station

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much extra capacity for train movements will be created by the works to be completed at Birmingham New Street railway station; what plans there are to  (a) create new platforms and  (b) lengthen existing platforms; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Additional train capacity at New Street, and across the network, will be provided via longer trains. The Department has already committed to provide the extra carriages required.
	Additional passenger handling capacity at New Street will be provided by improvements to the station, proposals for which are being led by Birmingham city council and Network Rail.
	These improvements will deal with passenger growth at New Street for the foreseeable future without the need for new or longer platforms. Proposals for New Street also provide improved station access, environment, interchange and wider regeneration benefits.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what processes are in place to ensure that staff of her Department and its agencies have only the security access to data required to do their job.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The guiding principle used by the Department and its agencies for access to data is that of 'Need to know', consistent with the Cabinet Office Manual of Protective Security.
	The Department and its agencies make use of both physical and electronic controls to restrict access to sensitive data including user identification, password protection and access restrictions based on user roles.
	In addition to the basic checks performed for all personnel, a number of roles require users to have been security cleared to the appropriate level, consistent with the sensitivity of the data to which they require access.
	The Department takes data security extremely seriously and is actively participating in the Cabinet Secretary's review of this matter.

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff in her Department were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following figures represent the number of personal digital assistants (PDAs) issued to male and female staff in the Department for Transport and Agencies for each year since the Department was set up in 2003:-
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 (includes  08 to date)  Comments 
			   M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F  
			 DfT(C) 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 23 132 52 PDAs only officially issued from 2006 onwards 
			 DVLA 3  8  0  8  0  Cannot split between male and female as allocated to teams rather than individuals. 
			 HA 44 5 81 11 0 0 8 2 0 0 Figures are PDA current distribution - initial allocations not recorded 
			 DSA 15 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 2 0  
			 MCA n/a n/a 3 3 27 4 88 13 109 16 Figures are the position at the end of the year, which may vary from those originally issued, due to PDAs changing users. 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  
			 VGA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  
			 GCDA 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 2 0 0 All now withdrawn for policy review. 
			 Totals (excludes DVLA) 59 8 84 14 27 4 157 42 243 68 Grand total = 706 plus 19 unallocated. 
		
	
	DfT policy is to provide personal digital assistants (PDAs) to appropriate staff where there are clear business benefits.

Driving Standards Agency

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for variations in pass rates between driving test centres; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency has identified that the following factors are influences on practical test pass rates:
	The age/gender of the test candidatein general, younger candidates have a higher pass rate, and males have a higher pass rate than females.
	The socio economic background of the test candidatelikely to be linked to more money available to invest in driving lessons and greater opportunities for private driving practice, such as access to a family vehicle etc.
	The prevalence of these factors varies between individual test centres, resulting in pass rate variances.

Driving Under Influence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work is being undertaken in her Department to assess the appropriate minimum blood alcohol concentration level for drivers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No work is being undertaken in the Department for Transport to assess an appropriate minimum blood alcohol concentration level for drivers. Controls over drinking and driving are based on the prescribed limit for drivers which represents the maximum permissible alcohol concentration for motorists.
	The most recent assessment of the possible effect of a change in the legal alcohol limit was included in the 1998 consultation paper Combating Drink Driving: Next Steps.
	We explained in the report of the second three-yearly review of our Road Safety Strategy (February 2007) that we will keep the alcohol limit under review. But our first priority is to ensure effective enforcement of the current limit so as to tackle those who are the most seriously impaired.
	Copies of the 1998 consultation document and the 2007 review report are in the Library of the House.

Durham Green Developments Ltd.

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations her Department has received from Durham Green Developments Ltd., in relation to planning and transport, in the last 36 months.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his question on 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 819W, in respect of Durham Green Business Park. There have been no other representations.

Eurostar: Waterloo Station

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will ensure that platforms 21 to 25 at Waterloo International continue to be available for trains after they are handed back by Eurostar.

Tom Harris: It is primarily the railway infrastructure outside Waterloo that limits the number of trains that can use the station rather than the number of platforms. Therefore the need is to run longer trains rather than more trains. So we are planning a large scheme to make all the platforms long enough to accommodate 10 and 12 car trains and to modify the junction layout on the approaches to the station. Such a scheme would allow the use of up to 50 per cent. longer trains than currently use the short platforms and would result in a large increase in capacity. The scheme is likely to require the use of all five platforms at Waterloo International. The scheme also presents opportunities at Waterloo International to reconfigure the passenger circulation space and the interchange with other transport modes, and to better integrate the station into the surrounding area. Such an ambitious scheme requires very detailed planning to make the most of this unique opportunity.
	In order to make the best use of the facility in the meantime, the Department is working closely with Network Rail and Stagecoach South Western Trains to finalise the design and costs of the partial conversion of Waterloo International to accommodate some domestic services. Therefore some services could use platform 20 of Waterloo International from the timetable change date in December 2008.

First Great Western: Complaints

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints she has received on the operation of the First Great Western franchise.

Tom Harris: In the last 12 months Ministers and officials at the Department for Transport have received several hundred e-mails, letters and phone calls regarding various aspects of First Greater Western operations.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many vehicles over 25 years of age pay vehicle excise duty for all or part of the year;
	(2)  how many vehicles have free historic vehicle tax discs.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of licensed vehicles over 25 years of age at the end of 2006 and registered in Great Britain were as follows:
	
		
			   Number of licensed vehicles (thousand) 
			 All vehicles 723 
			 Exempt from vehicle excise dutyhistoric vehicle 307 
			 Exempt from vehicle excise dutyother reasons 232 
			 Not exempt from vehicle excise duty 183 
		
	
	The data given above include vehicles where the year of manufacture is not known.

Network Rail

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the terms are of the binding commitment between her and Network Rail referred to in paragraph 1.4.10 of the White Paper The Future of Rail, Cm 6233, dated 15 July 2004;
	(2)  what steps she has taken to use her powers of determination or enforcement under the binding commitment between her and Network Rail referred to in paragraph 1.4.10 of the White Paper The Future of Rail, Cm 6233, dated 15 July 2004.

Tom Harris: The July 2004 White Paper proposed a binding arrangement between the Secretary of State and Network Rail. This would combine existing regulatory requirements, imposed, monitored and enforced by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), together with a new Department for Transport (DFT)Network Rail Reporting Requirement setting out their working relationship.
	Under the binding arrangement, at the outset of a periodic or interim review, the Secretary of State has the sole responsibility for specifying the high level outputs that she wants the railway to deliver in England and Wales, and the Government funds available for their delivery. The independent ORR assesses whether the two are consistent and determines the outputs required of Network Rail, and the funding necessary to deliver them in the most efficient way. The ORR then monitors Network Rail to ensure it is delivering the Secretary of State's requirements.
	The DFTNetwork Rail Reporting Requirement was drawn up in conjunction with the ORR and published in November 2005. It sets out the arrangements for effective communication between Network Rail and the Secretary of State; and aims to ensure that the Department is kept properly informed of Network Rail's progress in delivering the agreed high level outputs. It falls to Network Rail to deliver within this strategic framework; and for the ORR to continue to have sole responsibility for enforcement in the event of non-compliance.

Network Rail

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers of binding determination and enforcement are exercised by the West Coast Project Board.

Tom Harris: The West Coast Project Board is an advisory panel that has no powers of binding determination and enforcement. Constituted of cross-industry senior level representation, its purpose is to address industry barriers that threaten the delivery of planned timetable improvements on the West Coast from December 2008.

Railway Stations

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the stations code will be brought into effect in each region.

Tom Harris: Adoption of the stations code, an industry initiative to improve the complex contractual arrangements at stations, is a matter for Network Rail and the individual train operating companies involved. An industry working group is working towards facilitating implementation of the stations code including agreeing a timetable for implementation on a phased geographical basis.

Railways: Accidents

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have occurred involving a motor vehicle striking  (a) rail infrastructure and  (b) railway bridges; and if she will consider reclaiming the costs of repair from drivers in those instances where the cause of the accident was negligence.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has provided the following statistics on train accidents due to road vehicle incursions:
	
		
			   Trains colliding with road vehicles not at level crossings  Trains colliding with road vehicles at level crossings  Trains running into fallen debris (bridge parapet etc.) following a road traffic accident 
			 2002 6 16 0 
			 2003 1 30 1 
			 2004 5 20 0 
			 2005 6 21 1 
			 2006 11 14 2 
		
	
	A rail infrastructure manager, such as Network Rail, could seek damages against a motorist who caused an accident.

Railways: Birmingham

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on the major engineering works scheduled for the Birmingham area between 29 February and 2 March 2008, with particular regard to the avoidance of disruption for travellers; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Government have no power to intervene in Network Rail's operations. However, the Secretary of State met with Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail, on 3 January to inform him that the disruption to rail services from the engineering over-runs over the Christmas/new year period, particularly on the West Coast Main Line at Rugby, was unacceptable; and to seek his assurance that such delays would not be repeated and that lessons will be learned.

Railways: Subsidies

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what subsidy has been provided from the public purse per passenger for rail travel in each of the regions in England in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The Department does not hold the information in the form requested. However, details of subsidy paid, and premiums received split between each passenger franchise to a subsidy or premium per passenger kilometre level are available in National Rail Trends which is published by the Office of Rail Regulation. Copies of this document are available in the Library of the House.

Railways: Theft

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been successfully prosecuted in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available for stealing copper and other metal from the railway network; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: mail to:
	parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk

Road Works

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the statutory Network Management Duty introduced in the Traffic Management Act 2004 on the co-ordination and management of road works in each local traffic authority area.

Rosie Winterton: In 2006, local transport plans produced by local authorities outside London were assessed to determine how authorities performed in each category of the network management duty.
	The assessment found that the average mark across these authorities for the Works Management category was Fair but the average for all categories was Good.
	The full assessment can be found on the Department for Transport's website at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tmaportal/tmafeatures/tmapart2/assessnmdltp
	The Department has recently commissioned a three year evaluation contract which aims to determine the effectiveness in mitigating congestion and disruption of different parts of the Traffic Management Act including Network Management and works in the highway. The conclusions will become available towards the end of the contract period.

Roads: Safety

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will draw up a road safety strategy for 2010 and beyond.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Department for Transport officials have begun preliminary discussions with key road safety interests about the new road safety strategy, with a view to wider public consultation later this year.

Shipping: Safety

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is taking to improve maritime safety standards following the sinking of the Flying Phantom.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The incident involving the sinking of the Flying Phantom is being investigated by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will consider any recommendations published in the MAIB's final report.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason her Department prohibits the granting of licences to test the safety of cosmetics and their ingredients using animals.

Meg Hillier: The Government secured a voluntary ban on testing cosmetic finished products and ingredients on animals in the United Kingdom in November 1997 and this position has been maintained. The ban was pursued because we believe that there is inadequate justification for the use of animals given the benefits of these products and the alternative tests available.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many post-conviction antisocial behaviour orders were issued in each constabulary area in the last period for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the variation in bureaucratic procedures used by constabularies for post-conviction antisocial behaviour orders; how many pages each constabulary's application form runs to; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Data on antisocial behaviour orders on conviction broken down by constabulary area are not yet available but are due to be published in the spring. Police forces devise their own application forms for antisocial behaviour orders and no assessment has been made of the variation in their procedures. It is therefore not possible to say how long the forms are.

Bail

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for breach of bail conditions were made in each police area in the last year for which data is available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The data collected by the Ministry of Justice on arrests are broken down by offence group and therefore do not specifically identify arrests for breach of bail conditions.

Cocaine

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crack houses have been closed down in each of the last 12 months; and under what powers they were closed down.

Vernon Coaker: The official published figures are released on an annual basis as follows:
	2003-04: 94 'crack house' closure orders
	2004-05: 286 'crack house' closure orders
	2005-06: 342 'crack house' closure orders
	The Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003 introduced the power for courts to issue orders for the closure of premises where Class A drugs and serious nuisance and disorder are a problem. The provision commenced on 20 January 2004.
	The data for 2006-07 will be published spring 2008.

Crime

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of  (a) violence against the person,  (b) sexual offences,  (c) robbery,  (d) burglary,  (e) theft and handling of stolen goods,  (f) theft from the person,  (g) theft from shops,  (h) theft of vehicles,  (i) theft from vehicles , (j) fraud and forgery,  (k) criminal damage and  (l) drug offences were recorded in each (i) UK police force area and (ii) settlement type as defined by the Rural and Urban Area Classification in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 January 2008
	 Information at police force area level is published annually for the following offence groups: violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, fraud and forgery, criminal damage and drug offences.
	Figures for 1997 to 2006-07 are provided in the individual volumes of the annual publication Crime Statistics, England and Wales.
	Statistics for theft from the person, thefts from shops and thefts of and from vehicles are published annually for individual police force areas from 1997 to 2000-01 in table 3.1 of Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Volume 3.
	Statistics for these four offences from 2001-02 onwards are given in the following tables.
	Copies of all the publications referred to above should be available in the Library.
	The Home Office does not receive recorded crime data at the detailed geographic level as defined by the Rural and Urban Area Classification.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded offences of theft from the person 2001-02 to 2006-07 
			   2001-02  2002-03( 1)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,120 2,554 2,149 1,657 1,540 2,282 
			 Bedfordshire 111 1,094 1,311 1,214 1,601 1,298 
			 British Transport Police n/a 13,096 12,112 10,543 9,953 9,943 
			 Cambridgeshire 689 1,087 976 892 846 930 
			 Cheshire 500 861 947 869 1,499 1,498 
			 Cleveland 606 932 1,023 1,057 1,129 1,148 
			 Cumbria 126 188 210 179 215 161 
			 Derbyshire 1,835 2,301 2,180 1,885 1,785 1,668 
			 Devon and Cornwall 735 1,712 1,677 1,676 1,583 1,688 
			 Dorset 629 1,063 945 825 814 767 
			 Durham 436 404 387 277 399 492 
			 Dyfed-Powys 29 24 75 148 122 128 
			 Essex 1,449 1,810 1,783 1,420 1,272 716 
			 Gloucestershire 772 925 942 837 882 823 
			 Greater Manchester 7,475 8,809 7,610 5,304 5,305 5,262 
			 Gwent 195 375 409 465 449 535 
			 Hampshire 1,039 1,699 2,396 2,135 2,085 2,059 
			 Hertfordshire 1,146 2,185 2,298 2,767 2,882 2,417 
			 Humberside 1,478 1,817 1,890 1,440 1,768 1,632 
			 Kent 841 1,217 1,163 1,212 1,626 1,303 
			 Lancashire 2,067 1,566 1,802 1,688 1,670 1,525 
			 Leicestershire 1,455 1,799 1,784 1,676 1,765 1,820 
			 Lincolnshire 296 506 536 487 470 392 
			 London, City of 256 295 266 293 323 438 
			 Merseyside 2,191 3,885 3,659 3,800 3,751 3,274 
			 Metropolitan Police 48,510 51,876 46,217 42,047 42,677 37,969 
			 Norfolk 477 750 725 626 607 753 
			 Northamptonshire 692 937 987 1,029 1,190 1,105 
			 Northumbria 1,615 2,965 2,648 2,299 1,863 1,275 
			 North Wales 535 561 463 377 280 262 
			 North Yorkshire 864 1,341 1,448 1,030 1,058 807 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,744 3,924 3,420 2,663 2,526 2,595 
			 South Wales 814 2,536 2,802 2,614 2,405 2,296 
			 South Yorkshire 1,904 2,681 2,326 2,284 2,560 2,699 
			 Staffordshire 1,382 1,478 1,348 1,260 1,322 1,229 
			 Suffolk 477 575 632 773 779 698 
			 Surrey 609 805 829 576 582 466 
			 Sussex 2,481 2,830 2,923 2,902 3,650 3,339 
			 Thames valley 3,683 5,018 4,425 4,266 4,148 4,178 
			 Warwickshire 342 394 359 416 439 408 
			 West Mercia 972 1,125 990 721 723 757 
			 West Midlands 8,202 6,287 5,319 3,674 3,348 2,949 
			 West Yorkshire 7,954 9,470 8,082 7,036 7,248 6,165 
			 Wiltshire 449 731 681 742 728 716 
			 England and Wales 114,848 148,488 137,154 122,081 123,867 114,865 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded offences of theft from shops 2001-02 to 2006-07 
			   2001-02  2002-03( 1)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 9,106 8,410 8,658 8,087 8,655 9,423 
			 Bedfordshire 3,663 3,724 3,708 3,384 3,741 3,617 
			 British Transport Police n/a 1,543 1,439 1,382 1,594 1,545 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,024 4,420 4,165 3,630 3,760 3,845 
			 Cheshire 4,599 5,542 5,638 5,132 6,267 6,554 
			 Cleveland 6,916 6,207 5,039 4,344 4,924 4,652 
			 Cumbria 2,795 2,571 2,505 2,507 2,686 2,271 
			 Derbyshire 5,022 5,455 4,852 3,810 3,550 3,246 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5,853 7,126 6,730 7,214 7,431 7,416 
			 Dorset 3,180 3,480 3,238 3,308 3,543 3,530 
			 Durham 3,575 2,996 2,709 2,392 2,565 2,339 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,427 1,390 1,533 1,513 1,455 1,444 
			 Essex 7,149 8,336 8,306 8,489 9,607 9,329 
			 Gloucestershire 3,670 3,816 3,854 3,108 3,354 3,347 
			 Greater Manchester 16,648 16,399 15,489 13,343 14,396 14,827 
			 Gwent 3,085 2,878 2,970 2,806 2,960 2,894 
			 Hampshire 9,311 9,784 11,276 11,195 11,670 11,693 
			 Hertfordshire 4,421 5,474 5,536 5,960 6,101 6,587 
			 Humberside 8,111 8,114 7,676 6,643 6,112 6,762 
			 Kent 7,943 8,394 8,411 8,495 9,991 10,164 
			 Lancashire 8,050 7,781 8,579 8,254 8,655 8,564 
			 Leicestershire 4,846 4,778 4,497 4,428 4,871 5,067 
			 Lincolnshire 3,504 3,517 3,091 3,098 3,390 3,263 
			 London, City of 755 939 982 836 737 770 
			 Merseyside 9,777 9,710 8,662 8,340 9,327 9,623 
			 Metropolitan Police 42,522 41,999 40,116 39,764 41,040 36,944 
			 Norfolk 3,440 3,730 3,877 3,668 3,814 4,122 
			 Northamptonshire 3,451 3,948 3,983 3,747 3,676 3,527 
			 Northumbria 10,565 10,911 9,577 8,775 8,364 9,378 
			 North Wales 3,669 4,020 3,739 3,051 3,111 3,401 
			 North Yorkshire 4,303 4,604 4,966 3,607 3,725 3,629 
			 Nottinghamshire 10,129 9,578 9,421 7,648 7,129 6,907 
			 South Wales 6,726 6,988 7,114 6,586 6,971 6,757 
			 South Yorkshire 7,638 8,214 7,607 6,591 8,028 7,588 
			 Staffordshire 6,411 5,889 5,531 5,064 5,664 5,951 
			 Suffolk 3,072 3,289 3,150 2,856 3,101 2,681 
			 Surrey 3,665 3,680 3,827 3,622 3,416 3,702 
			 Sussex 8,157 6,988 7,077 7,738 8,403 8,229 
			 Thames valley 11,191 11,350 11,175 10,897 10,923 11,542 
			 Warwickshire 2,464 2,235 2,307 1,918 2,009 2,030 
			 West Mercia 6,433 5,895 6,211 5,745 5,457 5,706 
			 West Midlands 20,053 18,352 17,524 14,344 15,464 14,918 
			 West Yorkshire 12,735 13,858 13,974 11,368 11,782 11,935 
			 Wiltshire 2,542 2,569 2,516 2,440 2,580 2,585 
			 England and Wales 306,596 310,881 303,235 281,127 295,999 294,304 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Recorded offences of theft of a motor vehicle 2001-02 to 2006-07 
			   2001-02  2002-03( 1)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 12,181 11,983 8,705 7,070 6,280 6,108 
			 Bedfordshire 3,873 3,111 2,834 1,965 2,185 1,882 
			 British Transport Police n/a 1,357 1,201 811 541 457 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,941 3,638 3,307 2,720 2,265 2,347 
			 Cheshire 4,625 4,503 3,994 3,599 3,503 2,935 
			 Cleveland 4,797 4,468 4,463 3,616 2,901 2,256 
			 Cumbria 1,115 1,244 1,060 1,101 1,087 948 
			 Derbyshire 3,832 4,062 3,571 2,785 2,693 2,525 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,392 3,907 3,396 3,256 3,058 3,025 
			 Dorset 2,499 2,276 2,199 1,767 1,499 1,395 
			 Durham 2,712 2,423 2,369 2,088 2,134 1,889 
			 Dyfed-Powys 841 833 795 727 619 588 
			 Essex 7,505 7,664 7,283 6,419 6,253 5,629 
			 Gloucestershire 1,828 1,977 2,264 1,949 1,706 1,451 
			 Greater Manchester 31,969 26,252 21,870 18,794 17,001 14,877 
			 Gwent 2,610 3,046 3,507 3,189 2,694 2,633 
			 Hampshire 6,506 6,278 5,822 4,871 4,394 4,726 
			 Hertfordshire 3,810 4,287 4,323 3,445 3,361 2,821 
			 Humberside 6,501 7,607 7,619 6,096 4,857 4,067 
			 Kent 7,237 7,138 6,749 6,181 6,438 5,650 
			 Lancashire 6,154 5,585 5,231 4,514 3,849 3,738 
			 Leicestershire 4,604 4,576 3,986 3,506 2,566 2,772 
			 Lincolnshire 1,885 2,101 1,932 1,833 1,690 1,608 
			 London, City of 380 334 226 97 74 75 
			 Merseyside 15,081 13,081 11,403 9,354 7,161 6,198 
			 Metropolitan Police 62,112 58,405 55,158 48,026 43,463 37,599 
			 Norfolk 1,888 2,288 2,173 1,851 1,577 1,468 
			 Northamptonshire 3,758 3,817 3,642 3,415 2,896 2,731 
			 Northumbria 7,837 6,981 6,445 5,189 4,748 3,883 
			 North Wales 1,949 2,087 2,038 1,740 1,486 1,607 
			 North Yorkshire 2,349 2,623 2,672 2,097 2,154 1,585 
			 Nottinghamshire 7,714 8,782 8,014 6,284 4,798 4,609 
			 South Wales 11,557 11,844 9,793 7,336 6,896 6,484 
			 South Yorkshire 8,294 10,241 9,621 8,005 7,648 7,481 
			 Staffordshire 5,637 4,463 4,209 3,470 3,411 3,235 
			 Suffolk 1,693 1,606 1,459 1,645 1,264 1,408 
			 Surrey 2,881 3,110 2,947 2,413 2,229 2,205 
			 Sussex 5,442 5,992 5,313 4,379 3,626 3,353 
			 Thames valley 10,255 9,111 8,753 7,651 6,829 6,384 
			 Warwickshire 2,118 2,282 2,125 1,919 1,751 1,696 
			 West Mercia 3,336 3,371 3,432 3,179 2,629 2,340 
			 West Midlands 25,385 23,598 23,217 17,091 14,482 12,249 
			 West Yorkshire 23,765 22,867 19,473 13,961 10,455 9,469 
			 Wiltshire 1,267 1,308 1,265 1,328 1,031 1,024 
			
			 England and Wales 328,115 318,507 291,858 242,732 214,182 193,410 
		
	
	continued
	
		
			  Table 4: Recorded offences of theft from a vehicle 2001-02 to 2006-07 
			   2001-02  2002-03( 1)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 28,610 24,266 20,303 16,936 15,629 15,942 
			 Bedfordshire 8,852 8,323 7,337 6,448 6,735 6,949 
			 British Transport Police n/a 4,982 4,742 4,070 4,100 3,884 
			 Cambridgeshire 9,804 9,707 7,365 6,449 6,080 6,429 
			 Cheshire 8,820 9,400 8,850 8,011 8,181 7,370 
			 Cleveland 9,454 9,826 8,030 6,510 6,035 5,598 
			 Cumbria 3,368 3,509 3,054 2,840 2,091 1,897 
			 Derbyshire 12,471 12,730 10,787 7,418 7,174 7,490 
			 Devon and Cornwall 14,157 15,470 13,205 11,734 10,786 10,380 
			 Dorset 7,310 7,141 6,404 4,813 5,144 3,863 
			 Durham 5,086 5,023 4,704 3,415 3,952 4,240 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,209 1,195 1,530 1,604 1,250 1,417 
			 Essex 13,356 13,906 13,757 12,334 13,781 12,736 
			 Gloucestershire 6,312 5,763 6,143 4,810 3,992 3,812 
			 Greater Manchester 42,806 41,022 37,414 31,178 35,802 39,189 
			 Gwent 4,406 5,286 5,416 5,394 5,656 4,972 
			 Hampshire 15,353 15,985 14,947 11,668 13,446 15,140 
			 Hertfordshire 10,453 12,315 11,916 9,664 9,145 8,376 
			 Humberside 14,843 14,881 13,810 11,187 10,748 9,694 
			 Kent 13,361 13,676 12,492 11,713 12,387 11,772 
			 Lancashire 14,861 13,289 11,468 10,822 10,521 10,458 
			 Leicestershire 11,749 11,410 10,030 7,868 7,413 7,748 
			 Lincolnshire 4,897 5,756 4,571 4,074 4,115 3,810 
			 London, City of 511 360 357 156 178 156 
			 Merseyside 14,901 14,973 14,961 13,893 14,997 12,806 
			 Metropolitan Police 112,146 114,987 103,899 88,164 94,309 92,137 
			 Norfolk 7,909 8,451 6,223 4,440 3,812 4,030 
			 Northamptonshire 7,577 8,051 9,069 7,161 6,267 6,356 
			 Northumbria 12,573 13,283 11,644 10,836 10,846 9,545 
			 North Wales 5,712 6,006 5,575 3,609 2,671 2,697 
			 North Yorkshire 5,822 6,947 6,844 4,379 4,589 4,635 
			 Nottinghamshire 20,818 22,227 20,303 16,476 17,741 15,965 
			 South Wales 14,324 18,579 17,289 15,456 16,538 16,221 
			 South Yorkshire 20,427 20,948 19,573 16,199 17,962 17,704 
			 Staffordshire 12,314 10,094 9,576 7,800 7,646 7,682 
			 Suffolk 5,222 4,676 4,323 3,818 4,017 3,990 
			 Surrey 6,513 6,879 6,973 6,830 6,793 7,385 
			 Sussex 15,798 15,116 13,463 10,787 9,856 9,220 
			 Thames valley 31,525 28,518 26,710 23,385 22,426 22,119 
			 Warwickshire 5,899 6,195 5,131 4,725 4,520 5,200 
			 West Mercia 9,725 9,705 8,702 7,764 7,123 6,525 
			 West Midlands 38,239 37,240 33,894 25,380 24,910 27,082 
			 West Yorkshire 41,671 41,340 36,287 24,525 22,557 24,566 
			 Wiltshire 3,997 4,243 4,185 3,617 3,318 3,676 
			
			 England and Wales 655,161 663,679 603,256 500,360 507,239 502,663 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) The National Crime Recording standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Crime: Fraud

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether each individual instance of money stolen through the cloning of debit and credit cards is counted as a distinct crime in local police crime statistics; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 January 2008
	From 15 January 2007 a revised system of recording plastic card fraud was introduced with agreement from the Association of Payment Clearing Services, Association of Chief Police Officers and police forces. The first stage was the introduction of a less bureaucratic method of recording crimes based on the numbers of accounts defrauded as opposed to the number of individual fraudulent transactions on an account; this also reflecting the fact that in most cases the financial institution where the account is held stands the financial loss rather than the separate parties to individual transactions.
	The 2(nd) stage introduced from 1 April 2007 was to give financial institutions a network of single points of contact within each police force where they can report cheque and plastic card fraud which will appear in local police statistics.
	Where individual account holders or traders are not refunded moneys lost through fraud on plastic cards by their financial institution, they can also report the matter to police, where it must appear in local police statistics on crime based on the number of accounts defrauded.
	Full guidance issued to both police and financial institutions is contained within the Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime (which is a public document available online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html
	under Classification 53C.

Crime: Victims

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to police forces on the requirement to record the ethnic origin of victims of crime before crime numbers are issued.

Tony McNulty: The National Crime Recording Standard and Home Office Counting Rules provide guidance to forces on how they record and classify crimes. There is no requirement under either of these policies for police to require the ethnic origin of victims of crime before crime numbers can be issued.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research the Respect Task Force has conducted on violence against women.

Vernon Coaker: The Respect Task Force has not undertaken any research (nor planned any future research) which specifically relates to violence against women.

Criminal Records Bureau

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken was by the Criminal Records Bureau to process a records check in 2007, broken down by police force area.

Meg Hillier: Data concerning the average time taken by the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) to complete a Disclosure by police force area are not collated by the bureau.
	The CRB operates to a set of published service standards (PSS) which include to issue 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within 10 days and 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within 28 days. The CRB has exceeded the PSS for Standard Disclosures for several years and has exceeded the PSS for Enhanced Disclosures since April 2007.
	Forces performance can be affected by a number of factors; the volume of cases sent to a force to process in any given month, the number of staff available to process the checks and the IT resources on hand to forces. With these variables, performance can fluctuate within individual forces from one month to the next.
	The CRB has been supporting those forces that have encountered problems in meeting their targets by a range of measures including the provision of additional resources, monitoring performance, providing demand forecasting data and assistance in introducing new IT initiatives.
	A revised service level agreement came into effect in April 2006 between the CRB and the 43 police forces of England and Wales. This new agreement, which was agreed by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) places an additional focus on delivery and the responsibilities of chief officers and ACPO to ensure that the obligations within the service level agreement are met. Monthly performance figures for each of the police forces for their part of the disclosure service are now published on the CRB website at:
	www.crb.gov.uk

Domestic Violence: Asians

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of numbers of Asian women subject to domestic violence in the  (a) UK,  (b) North East and  (c) Tees Valley in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not routinely collect this data. However, the Government is aware of the specific issues faced by black and minority ethnic victims of domestic violence (including forced marriage, female genital mutilation and honour based violence), and is currently developing a cross-Government work plan (in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers) to take forward work in this area.

Forced Marriage

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of forced marriages which took place in the  (a) UK,  (b) North East and  (c) Tees Valley in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Forced Marriage Unit was established in 2005 as the Government's one stop shop for dealing with domestic and international aspects of forced marriage casework, policy and projects. Recognising the need to prevent forced marriages from taking place in the UK, in 2007 the Unit issued specific guidelines for registrars.
	The Forced Marriage Unit received 5,000 enquiries and handled approximately 400 cases in 2007, 167 of which involved repatriation to the UK. We do not collate statistics on where forced marriages take place, but a new system to capture data on cases is being implemented this year.

Identity Cards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to publish the Gateway review on identity cards carried out by the Office of Government Commerce; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 29 November 2007
	 There have been a number of Gateway reviews on identity cards, the National Identity Scheme and/or specific projects within the scheme.
	The Identity and Passport Service has no current plans to publish the reports on the Gateway reviews.

National Identity Register

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she expects that data on the National Identity Register will be required for audit purposes by the National Audit Office.

Meg Hillier: The National Audit Office has full access to all Identity and Passport Service data as our external auditors. The type of data required to routinely audit Identity and Passport Service accounts however, is unlikely to specifically include National Identity Register data.
	Once the National Identity Register is established, the Identity and Passport Service and the National Audit Office will agree what data may be required for audit purposes.

Passports: Lost Property

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 90W, on passports: lost property, how many such passports were reported as lost in the post in each year.

Meg Hillier: The figures given in the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 90W, on passports: lost property, for passports reported lost are drawn from reporting arrangements introduced in December 2003, which allow passport holders to advise us of passport losses and thefts. It is not possible to identify the number lost in the post from this data.
	The numbers of passports lost while on delivery from IPS for the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 2,541 
			 2002 2,982 
			 2003 3,593 
			 2004 (February 2004 to January 2005) 601 
			 2005 (February 2005 to January 2006) 1,018 
			 2006 (February 2006 to January 2007) 727 
			 2007 (February 2007 to October 2007) 586 
		
	
	Prior to 2004 new passports were delivered by Royal Mail (standard first class mail) but February 2004 saw the introduction of Secure Delivery, with the delivery of passports undertaken by Secure Mail Services, a courier service. All losses are added to the database of lost or stolen passports, and further measurers are in hand to reduce losses still further.

Police

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 468W, on police, how many police constables left the service in each age band in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The available data which have been collected from 2002-03, are for police officers who leave the force from 2002-03 onwards, and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer leavers (headcount) by age from 2002-03 to 2006-07( 1) 
			   Headcount 
			 2002-03  
			 25 and under 743 
			 26 to 40 2,889 
			 41 to 55 3,877 
			 Over 55 279 
			   
			 2003-04  
			 25 and under 740 
			 26 to 40 2,720 
			 41 to 55 3,440 
			 Over 55 301 
			   
			 2004/05(2)  
			 25 and under 570 
			 26 to 40 2,430 
			 41 to 55 4,012 
			 Over 55 319 
			   
			 2005-06  
			 25 and under 551 
			 26 to 40 2,629 
			 41 to 55 5,333 
			 Over 55 320 
			   
			 2006-07  
			 25 and under 475 
			 26 to 40 2,548 
			 41 to 55 4,962 
			 Over 55 322 
			 (1) Number of officers who leave during the reporting period. Period runs from 1 April to 31 March. (2) Data are not available for Leicestershire for 2004-05.  Note: The majority of the these police officers leave due to retirement.

Police

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force are aged  (a) under 25,  (b) between 25 and 34,  (c) between 35 and 44,  (d) between 45 and 54,  (e) between 55 and 59 and  (f) over 60.

Tony McNulty: Police officer age is collected within specific age bands only, and the available data are given in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Numbers of police officers (headcount)( 1)  in post as at 31 March 2007 by age group 
			   25 and under  26 to 40  41 to 55  Over 55 
			 Avon and Somerset 251 1865 1,358 14 
			 Bedfordshire 138 643 434 8 
			 Cambridgeshire 104 764 548 5 
			 Cheshire 165 1,283 811 3 
			 Cleveland 130 918 708 2 
			 Cumbria 88 635 572 4 
			 Derbyshire 143 1,050 879 10 
			 Devon and Cornwall 188 1,843 1,544 18 
			 Dorset 99 829 621 9 
			 Durham 76 932 707 6 
			 Dyfed-Powys 50 664 496 2 
			 Essex 517 1,592 1,267 21 
			 Gloucestershire 96 690 559 5 
			 Greater Manchester 606 4,283 3,144 20 
			 Gwent 86 838 575 13 
			 Hampshire 322 2,151 1,463 15 
			 Hertfordshire 287 1,243 702 4 
			 Humberside 169 1,104 989 15 
			 Kent 451 2,078 1,218 29 
			 Lancashire 258 2,039 1,366 3 
			 Leicestershire 178 1,240 855 8 
			 Lincolnshire 73 599 572 9 
			 London, City of 46 433 385 7 
			 Merseyside 387 2,055 2,022 17 
			 Metropolitan police 2,503 16,872 11,943 208 
			 Norfolk 90 852 663 4 
			 Northamptonshire 93 707 538 1 
			 Northumbria 196 2,131 1,691 6 
			 North Wales 88 832 700 2 
			 North Yorkshire 144 895 652 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 172 1,334 959 14 
			 South Wales 151 1,905 1,295 17 
			 South Yorkshire 204 1,767 1,344 13 
			 Staffordshire 169 1,297 877 15 
			 Suffolk 103 743 534 4 
			 Surrey 155 1,106 732 o 
			 Sussex 339 1,751 1,066 13 
			 Thames Valley 441 2,264 1,599 23 
			 Warwickshire 104 554 412 1 
			 West Mercia 163 1,244 1,034 11 
			 West Midlands 755 4,731 2,862 40 
			 West Yorkshire 591 2,995 2,180 23 
			 Wiltshire 66 645 557 4 
			 (1) Headcount figures; full-time and part-time officers are counted individually as one officer. This differs from the main officer count which is on a full-time equivalent basis. The figures include officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.

Police Stations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 680W, on police stations, what information her Department holds on the number of stations that have closed.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of police stations opened and closed in England and Wales has been collected centrally from police authorities via a yearly survey. Due to the changes in the use of police buildings it has proved to be difficult to obtain comprehensive information as to the number of police stations in use and of the number opening and closing in any year.

Police Stations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police stations there were in each parliamentary constituency in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2006.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) Information on police numbers is published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series Police Service Strength, England and Wales. The bulletins are available in the Library of the House, and can be downloaded from the publications link within the Research Development and Statistics directorate website located at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.html
	The available data are at the police force level and are given in the table.
	 (b) The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs. The Home Office does not have reliable data submitted by all forces on the total number of police stations.
	
		
			  Police officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2006 
			  Police force  31 March 1997( 3)  31 March 2001( 4)  31 March 2005( 5)  31 March 2006( 5) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,994 3,384 3,389 
			 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,036 1,215 1,198 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,296 1,402 1,430 
			 Cheshire 2,046 2,002 2,186 2,174 
			 Cleveland 1,459 1,407 1,676 1,677 
			 Cumbria 1,144 1,048 1,232 1,230 
			 Derbyshire 1,791 1,823 2,070 2,046 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,934 3,369 3,493 
			 Dorset 1,284 1,354 1,450 1,485 
			 Durham 1,461 1,595 1,718 1,699 
			 Essex 2,961 2,897 3,190 3,279 
			 Gloucestershire 1,133 1,173 1,291 1,289 
			 Greater Manchester 6,922 6,909 8,041 7,959 
			 Hampshire 3,452 3,438 3,725 3,707 
			 Hertfordshire 1,759 1,922 2,104 2,126 
			 Humberside 2,045 1,917 2,230 2,224 
			 Kent 3,260 3,319 3,586 3,599 
			 Lancashire 3,248 3,255 3.551 3,583 
			 Leicestershire 1,949 2,032 2,283 2,250 
			 Lincolnshire 1,196 1,202 1,221 1,213 
			 London, City of 859 703 876 869 
			 Merseyside 4,230 4,081 4,317 4,269 
			 Metropolitan Police 26,677 24,878 30,710 30,536 
			 Norfolk 1,432 1,420 1,544 1,557 
			 Northamptonshire 1,177 1,157 1,267 1,317 
			 Northumbria 3,677 3,857 4,048 3,983 
			 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,305 1,543 1,636 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,275 2,502 2,477 
			 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,197 3,265 3,255 
			 Staffordshire 2,211 2,129 2,280 2,272 
			 Suffolk 1,174 1,133 1,313 1,300 
			 Surrey 1,620 2,066 1,915 1,922 
			 Sussex 3,085 2,855 3,044 3,092 
			 Thames Valley 3,695 3,703 4,114 4,229 
			 Warwickshire 926 926 1,011 1,032 
			 West Mercia 2,040 1,951 2,367 2,351 
			 West Midlands 7,113 7,423 8,056 8,097 
			 West Yorkshire 5,209 4,815 5,631 5,644 
			 Wiltshire 1,154 1,120 1,222 1,219 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,005 1,055 1,174 1,182 
			 Gwent 1,243 1,274 1,438 1,467 
			 North Wales 1,369 1,444 1,652 1,617 
			 South Wales 2,976 3,154 3,281 3,263 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 1996 transferred resources for the policing of the Rhmney Valley from South Wales police to Gwent police. (4) Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces. (5) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison.

Police: Firearms

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have received injuries from firearms while on duty  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) broken down by police force area in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Data on crimes recorded by the police in which a police officer on duty was injured by a firearm (excluding air weapons) from 1997-98 up to and including 2005-06 and are given in the table.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in which a police officer was injured by a firearm (excluding air weapons), by police force area 1997-98 to 2005-06 
			  Police force area  Total injuries 
			  1997-98  
			 London Region 2 
			 Northamptonshire 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 
			 West Midlands 2 
			 England and Wales total 6 
			   
			  1998-99 ( 1)  
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 
			 Greater Manchester 3 
			 Leicestershire 1 
			 London Region 5 
			 England and Wales total 11 
			   
			  1999-2000  
			 Avon and Somerset 1 
			 Cheshire 1 
			 London City of 1 
			 Staffordshire 1 
			 West Midlands 4 
			 England and Wales total 10 
			   
			  2000-01 ( 2)  
			 Greater Manchester 5 
			 London Region 1 
			 South Yorkshire 2 
			 England and Wales total 8 
			   
			  2001-02  
			 London Region 1 
			 Staffordshire 1 
			 Warwickshire 3 
			 West Midlands 5 
			 England and Wales total 10 
			   
			  2002-03 ( 3)  
			 Gloucestershire 1 
			 London Region 6 
			 Northamptonshire 2 
			 West Midlands 3 
			 England and Wales total 12 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Cheshire 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 
			 London Region 7 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 
			 West Midlands 2 
			 West Yorkshire 2 
			 England and Wales total 14 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Avon and Somerset 2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 
			 Greater Manchester 7 
			 Hampshire 1 
			 Humberside 1 
			 London Region 9 
			 West Midlands 2 
			 England and Wales total 23 
			 (1) There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. (2) Numbers of some recorded crimes may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (3 )The national Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.

Police: Industrial Action

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans are in place for security in circumstances in which industrial action is taken by the police; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It is unlawful for the police to call for industrial action among officers.

Police: Interpreters

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to police forces on the provision of  (a) sign language interpreters and  (b) lipspeakers for hearing-impaired people detained or questioned by the police.

Tony McNulty: Guidance is contained in the National Agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals in investigations and proceedings within the criminal justice system. Annex C and D of the National Agreement give detailed guidance on how to source the appropriate language service professionals when a registered one is not available and how to identify the right mode of communication with a person who has a hearing impairment. Copies of the National Agreement have been placed in the Library. Additional guidance is issued in individual force areas at the discretion of the chief officer.

Police: Training

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the maximum number of new police officers is that can be trained by each English police force in 2007-08.

Tony McNulty: It is currently estimated that a total of 5,455 new recruits will undertake police officer training in England between 2007 and 2008. The Metropolitan Police Service also plans to recruit 1,072 additional police officers during the same period, although this figure is variable. Such estimates are dependent on a number of factors based on funding, the number of applicants meeting the strict selection criteria and the capacity of forces to recruit and develop individuals.

Security Industry Authority

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what procedures the Security Industry Authority uses to validate previous addresses of licence applications who have lived abroad in any part of the preceding five years;
	(2)  how the Security Industry Authority (SIA) validates information supplied by applicants for an SIA licence who have been resident in the UK for less than 12 months; and how many applications for an SIA licence from such applicants have been refused because information supplied proved inaccurate since the SIA was established.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the procedure to establish previous addresses and other information provided in licence applications can be found on the website of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and in the SIA's booklets Get Licensed and SIA Licence Application Form Guidance Notes. Both documents are available on the SIA website at:
	http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/about_sia/publications/publications_licensing.htm
	All applicants for the SIA licence must provide an address history with no gaps and include overseas addresses (where appropriate) covering a five year address history for the purposes of a Criminal Record Bureau check. In addition applicants must provide identification documents. At least one document must show a current address, at least one must show the applicant's date of birth and at least one must include photo ID.
	If the applicant has lived overseas or they have spent six continuous months or more outside the UK, they must provide evidence of a criminal record check from the relevant country or countries which is subject to checks by the SIA.
	If applicants do not provide a full five-year address history the SIA will return the application form to them. If this information is not forthcoming a licence will not be issued to the applicant.
	The SIA does not keep information on the numbers of refused applications for an SIA licence from applicants who have not been resident in the UK for more than 12 months.

Violent Crime Action Plan

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the violent crime action plan.

Vernon Coaker: We currently plan to publish the tackling violence action plan during February.

Violent Crime Action Plan

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the violent crime action plan will include proposed primary legislation.

Vernon Coaker: The tackling violence action plan will contain a wide range of proposals to tackle violent crime. It is possible that some may involve legislation but no final decisions have yet been made.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Tony Blair

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Tony Blair has sought access to Government papers for work on his memoirs; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: The Ministerial Code sets out the rules in relation to the clearance of memoirs and access to official papers. As has been the practice under successive administrations, any discussions between former Ministers and the Cabinet Secretary, including requests for access to papers, are undertaken on an in-confidence basis.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Education: Prisoners

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which academic courses undertaken by prisoners had the 10  (a) highest and  (b) lowest pass rates in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Specialised Diplomas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what mechanisms he plans to employ to train teachers to prepare pupils studying for the new school diplomas; where he expects such training to be delivered; what organisations in the  (a) public and  (b) private sector he expects to deliver such training; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: My colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families are providing a nationwide programme of free training and support to prepare staff in schools and further education (FE) colleges to teach the first five Diplomas and functional skills.
	This work is being delivered through eight partner organizations from the school and FE sectors. These are the national college of School Leadership (NCSL), the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL), the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA), the Specialist Schools and Academies trust (SSAT), the National Assessment Agency (NAA) and the Secondary National Strategies (SNS).
	To prepare teachers and lecturers to deliver Diplomas, QIA and SSAT offer a three-day training package to all Diploma practitioners, which covers the Diploma model, employer engagement, and is developed in conjunction with Sector Skills Councils. The training events are delivered in a range of venues with at least one of the days delivered on site in a relevant occupational setting. The face-to-face training is supplemented by a range of electronic and hard copy materials and access to local teacher development networks.
	We are also working closely with the awarding bodies that will be offering diploma qualifications to ensure that their offer of support to schools and colleges complements this range of training.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Capital Punishment

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Afghanistan to stay the execution of the death sentence imposed on the journalist Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh charged with insulting Islam.

Kim Howells: The Government were concerned to hear about the case of Sayed Parwez. We are opposed to the death penalty for any crime. We fully support the right to freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial. We are pursuing the matter in Afghanistan through the EU and UN. The office of the UN Special Representative in Afghanistan has already called publicly for a review of the case.

Afghanistan: Civil Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds are available to facilitate the training of the next generation of Afghan civil servants in the UK or the US; and how many individuals have participated in such a scheme.

Kim Howells: The Government are funding a number of projects to train Afghan civil servants to develop the necessary skills to support a stable and functioning administration in Afghanistan. Some attend courses in the UK, although the majority receive training in Afghanistan. Programmes under way with Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funding include the following:
	in 2005-06 the Chevening programme spent 83,156 on seven Chevening scholars from Afghanistan (two part-funded by co-sponsors), of whom at least three were civil servants. The FCO also spent approximately 100,000 funding five Chevening fellows of whom three were civil servants. In 2006-07 the FCO spent 148,402 funding 10 scholars (two part-funded by co-sponsors), of whom five were civil servants. In 2007-08 the FCO has committed 330,788 for 13 scholars (one part-funded), of whom six are civil servants;
	in 2008 the joint FCO-Department for International Development-Ministry of Defence Stabilisation Aid Fund has proposed a programme for 20 Afghan civil servants at the UK National School for Government. The fund has provisionally allocated 176,000 for this and related follow-up activities; and
	the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team, led by the UK, has funded the pilot establishment of a civil service training centre in Lashkar Gah. 60,000 was provided for the first six-month period (AugustFebruary 2008) from the UK Quick Impact Projects Scheme, and 60 Afghan civil servants have so far received training there.
	United States training is a matter for the authorities in the United States.

Afghanistan: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Canadian Government on Omar Khadr's detention at Guantanamo Bay and his forthcoming hearing before a military commission.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the case of Omar Khadr, who is a Canadian citizen, with the Canadian Government.

British Overseas Territories: Wildlife

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which wildlife species in Her Majesty's Overseas Territories exist solely in captivity.

Meg Munn: There are no wildlife species native to Her Majesty's Overseas Territories that exist solely in captivity.

Christmas

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department's agencies spent on  (a) Christmas cards and  (b) postage of Christmas cards in each year since 1997.

Meg Munn: Statistics on the purchase and postage costs of Christmas cards are not collected and could not be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is running a wide range of information technology-enabled projects. Some are managed centrally, while others are initiated and managed by the holders of devolved budgets both in the UK or at posts overseas. For those centrally managed projects, and groups of projects marshalled together as programmes around a significant business change, the requested details are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
			  Current information technology projects  2 million  Start date  Original planned completion date  Expected completion date  Originally planned costs  ( million)  Estimated costs ( million) 
			 Future Firecrest (AIM)(1) February 2005 February 2012 February 2012 332.0 347.0 
			 FCONet 3(2) March 2006 June 2007 February 2008 3.5  3.5 
			 EDRM (eRecords/iRecords)(3) September 2004 March 2010 March 2010 26.5 12.4 
			 FCO Web Platform(4) July 2005 November 2008 November 2008 13.5 9.7 
			 Secure Video Conferencing April 2007 March 2008 March 2008 2.5 2.5 
			 Managed Reporting Service January 2007 January 2008 January 2008 2.5 2.4 
			 FTN (FCO Telecommunications Network) private finance initiative implementation and service 2000-10(5) May 2000 May 2010 May 2010 180.0 240.0 
			 Ocean (Telecommunications reprocurement)(6) October 2007 May 2010 May 2010  (7)2  
			 UKvisas Biometrics May 2005 December 2007 March 2008 121.7 45.5 
			 (1) The cost of Future Firecrest has been increased by the obligation to implement central Government security policies instituted after the Future Firecrest contract had been agreed. (2) Exact final project costs are being calculated, and are known to be less than the 3.5 million budget, but are not available at the time of writing. (3) The scope of iRecords has been reduced in the light of financial constraints. (4) The scope, and hence costs, were reduced on examination of the full business case. (5) FTN is a service, chargeable by usage. The additional cost reflects a demand that has increased significantly since the original estimates of traffic volumes were drawn up in 2000. Unit costs have been reduced, but this is obscured in the headline figure. (6) The scope, and hence the cost, of Ocean will be determined shortly; the cost of the procurement is likely to exceed 2 million. (7) To be determined.  Note: Implementation of the Prism system, reported on in previous answers, was completed in May 2006, two months later than originally planned, and the implementation programme was closed at the end of March 2007 following the recommendation of an Office of Government Commerce Gateway Review.

Foreign Relations

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bilateral summits the Government intends to participate in 2008.

Jim Murphy: To compile a schedule of projected Ministerial and senior official travel for 2008 would be disproportionately costly.

Iran: Bahai Sect

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic steps are being taken towards the government of Iran on the human rights of the Baha'i community in Iran.

Kim Howells: We regularly raise our concerns about the treatment of Baha'is with the Iranian authorities, both bilaterally and through the EU. Most recently, the EU presidency raised concerns about the treatment of Baha'is in a meeting with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 22 January. The presidency specifically raised the case of a group of Baha'is recently arrested in Shiraz, including three individuals who were at the time imprisoned in the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security. We understand that this group has since been sentenced for anti-regime propaganda.
	The UN General Assembly passed a resolution about the human rights situation in Iran in December last year, expressing very serious concern about increasing discrimination against religious and other minorities in Iran, including in particular attacks on Baha'is and their faith in state-sponsored media, increasing evidence of efforts by the state to identify and monitor Baha'is and prevention of the Baha'i faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically. The UK, through the EU, co-sponsored this resolution.
	The Government continue to press the Iranian authorities to take seriously their international human rights obligations, uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief, as described in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and address the discrimination suffered by Iranian Baha'is.

Iran: Religious Freedom

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the safety of members of the Baha'i faith in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We continue to be very concerned by the treatment of religious minorities in Iran, including Baha'is.
	The Baha'i faith is not recognised under the Iranian constitution and as a result Baha'is routinely face discrimination and persecution. In recent years Baha'is have been subject to arbitrary arrests, confiscation of property and restrictions on employment. Denial of access to higher education has been a long-term problem for Baha'i students. We are also concerned about reports that Iranian newspapers, including hard-line Keyhan, have been carrying out a propaganda campaign against the Baha'i community.
	We are concerned by the recent sentencing of 54 Baha'is for anti-regime propaganda. The EU presidency raised concerns about the treatment of Baha'is in a meeting with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 22 January. They specifically raised the case of this group and requested the Iranian government to abandon all proceedings against them.
	The Government continue to press the Iranian authorities to take seriously their international human rights obligations, uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief, as described in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and address the discrimination suffered by Iranian Baha'is. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns about the treatment of Baha'is with the Iranian authorities, both bilaterally and through the EU.

Iraq: Weapons

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's email, dated 25 January 2008, copied to the hon. Member for Billericay, on Coalition Information Centre documents, what the  (a) origin,  (b) recipient and  (c) date of dispatch was in relation to each document referred to;
	(2)  further to the decision of the Information Tribunal of 22 January 2008, if he will reconsider his Department's decision not to release documents relating to the Iraq dossier passed to and from the Coalition Information Centre in 2002 requested by the hon. Member for Billericay.

Kim Howells: We continue to consider the information which the hon. Member requested to be exempt from disclosure for the reasons given to him in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's reply to his request of 13 September 2007.

USA: Iraq

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for the UK to be associated with 26 November 2007 US/Iraq Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship; whether discussions have been held with US and Iraqi counterparts on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are in close contact with the US and Iraq as they formulate their views on the detail and structure of their long-term relationship following the US/Iraqi declaration of principles. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 23, a decision on the next phase of our military presence will be taken in Spring 2008. We will ensure that future civilian assistance, and any future military assistance, to Iraq is based on a sound legal and political footing.

Uzbekistan: Human Rights

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Uzbekistan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The overall human rights situation in Uzbekistan remains bleak, although there have been some positive steps over the last 12 months. On 1 January 2008, Uzbekistan abolished the death penalty and introduced a limited form of 'habeas corpus'. The EU and Uzbekistan have established a human rights dialogue. These developments are outweighed, however, by continuing concerns in other areas. We continue to receive reports of violations of freedom of expression, religious freedom and the right to a fair trial. Civil society and the media remain under strict control. At least 14 human rights defenders are in prison; others suffer harassment and pressure that has forced some to leave Uzbekistan, or cease their activities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2008 Annual Human Rights Report contains a fuller analysis of the human rights situation in Uzbekistan.
	We repeatedly and regularly register our concerns about individual cases and the human rights situation in general with the Uzbek authorities, both bilaterally and with EU partners. In Tashkent, the EU discussed a range of human rights issues with senior representatives of the Uzbek Government at the first session of the EU-Uzbekistan Human Rights Dialogue in May 2007. In October 2007, EU Foreign Ministers called on Uzbekistan to demonstrate progress in key areas of human rights by May 2008. There will be another session of the dialogue in 2008 and a seminar on media freedom. The EU special representative for Central Asia, Pierre Morel, visits Uzbekistan regularly and raises human rights concerns with the Uzbek Government.
	Our embassy in Tashkent also maintains regular contact with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and activists throughout Uzbekistan. We have helped hon. Members to make contact with NGOs in Uzbekistan to work on human rights issues and have helped to develop the capacity of NGOs, including to report on human rights violations. We will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and make our concerns clear through a critical, but constructive, dialogue with the authorities. In November 2007, we funded an NGO to attend the UN Committee on Torture's examination of Uzbekistan.

Visas: Entry Clearances

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average length of time was for the processing of visa applications at each issuing post in the last five years for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: As the information requested is lengthy I will arrange for it to be sent to the hon. Member and for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The hon. Member will also wish to note that we are only able to provide figures for the years 2006 and 2007, as figures for previous years are not available.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers her Office employed in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how much her Office paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Harriet Harman: Press office services are provided by the Cabinet Office Communication Group.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 248W.

Members: Pay

Nigel Evans: To ask the Leader of the House what the cost was of publishing the report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries on its review of parliamentary pay, pensions and allowances in 2007.

Harriet Harman: The cost of publishing the report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries on its review of parliamentary pay, pensions and allowances 2007 was 14,804.

TREASURY

Child Benefit: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single mothers were in receipt of child benefit in Easington constituency in the last period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available. The child benefit system does not keep up to date information on whether a recipient is a single parent or part of a couple as it does not affect entitlement.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse arising from the loss of the two child benefit discs containing confidential personal data.

Jane Kennedy: At this stage it is still too early to provide an estimate of the costs.

Departmental Records

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what test of what constitutes reasonably required information under section 8 of the National Audit Act 1983 is carried out on data transferred from his Department to the National Audit Office;
	(2)  what safeguards are in place in his Department to prevent more information than is required by the National Audit Office being passed on for auditing purposes;
	(3)  which Acts of Parliament permit disclosure of information which is held by HM Revenue and Customs in accordance with section 18(3) of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005.

Jane Kennedy: Each request is judged on a case by case basis and the National Audit Office should provide a clear explanation of why they want to see particular data and limit requests to that data required to fulfil their audit responsibilities.
	For each audit HMRC appoint a senior official who has overall responsibility and a designated contact point to oversee day to day activity, including enquiries and information requests.
	Following the child benefit data loss incident, HMRC have introduced more stringent data handling procedures, which require that the bulk transfers of customer data only take place with adequate security protection.
	For more detail on the changes made, I refer the hon. Member to Kieran Poynter's interim report that was published on 17 December 2007 and is available in the Library of the House.
	Various Acts of Parliament permit disclosure of HMRC information. I refer the hon. Member to HMRC's Information Disclosure Guidance manual at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/idgmanual/.

Excise Duties: Fuels

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1026W, on fuel: excise duties, how much and what percentage of the increase in fuel duty announced in Budget 2007 has been used to fund public services; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: All tax revenues, including those accruing from fuel duty, contribute to the overall level of financial resources available to fund the Government's spending priorities including public services.

Inflation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department issues advice to other Government departments on which inflation measure to use to uprate their items of revenue and expenditure.

Yvette Cooper: In general, it is the responsibility of individual Government Departments to determine the appropriate inflation measure to use in uprating items of revenue and expenditure although specific items will be discussed with Treasury as part of Treasury's role in controlling public expenditure (as set out in the Managing Public Money publication, available on the Treasury website).
	In respect of revenues, as stated in Managing Public Money fees, charges and levies should be reviewed regularly to achieve full cost recovery and are therefore based on actual costs rather than indexation.
	In respect of some of the more significant items of expenditure, the practices for uprating social security benefits administered by the Department of Work and Pensions can be found in Appendix A of 'The Abstract of Statistics for Benefits, National Insurance Contributions, and Indices of Prices and Earnings, 2006 Edition', published by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual cost to the Exchequer would be of restoring the exemption from vehicle excise duty for 25 year old vehicles.

Angela Eagle: Vehicles built before 1 January 1973 are eligible to be licensed as exempt from payment of vehicle excise duty provided they are not in commercial use.
	The number of vehicles over 25 years of age that are currently subject to payment of vehicle excise duty is 183,000. The most recently available licensing data do not completely disaggregate this number by applicable vehicle excise duty rate.
	An extension of the exemption would potentially affect cars, vans, motorcycles, motorised tricycles, buses and heavy goods vehicles across all vehicle excise rates excepting those for vehicles registered March 2001 onwards. However, it is not therefore possible to determine the cost to the Exchequer of extending the exemption.
	Further extension of the exemption for classic vehicles would be inconsistent with the Government's overall policy intent in vehicle excise duty which is to give rates an environmental focus.

Northern Rock: Fixed Costs

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all the monies lent by the Bank of England to Northern Rock plc and underwritten by HM Treasury are secured by a fixed charge over specific assets.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the letters the Chancellor sent to the chairs of the Public Accounts Committee and the Treasury Select Committee on 11 October 2007, which are available in the House Library.

Taxation: Married People

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what benchmarking he has undertaken in relation to UK tax policy on one earner married couples with children amongst OECD member states;
	(2)  what account he took of the Government's objectives on child poverty in determining the tax regime for married couples; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The principle of independent taxation means each individual has his or her own allowances and income tax rate bands. Levels of financial support in the tax credit system are determined by the level of need, and do not favour any particular household composition.
	As a result of the Government's changes to taxes and benefits, 600,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty and 1.8 million children lifted out of absolute poverty in the UK between 1998-99 and 2005-06.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Age: Discrimination

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on providing information to businesses on age discrimination in each of the last 10 years; and by what means this information was provided.

Mike O'Brien: The expenditure in years prior to 2002-03 was by the former Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) and records are not available. The available expenditure information is in the table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (000) 
			 2002-03 559 
			 2003-04 1,247 
			 2004-05 615 
			 2005-06 3,737 
			 2006-07 2,330 
			 2007-08 (to December 2007) 256 
		
	
	An Age Positive Week was delivered on three occasions between 2002 and 2005. This employer-focused burst of activity and information comprised ministerial activities, employer events and business awards designed to focus media and employer attention on age and workplace issues and resulted in much increased awareness of the issues via extensive media coverage.
	Between 2005 and 2006 we worked with a number of leading business-focused organisations to create the Age Partnership Group, which promoted the Be Ready campaign, launched with a newsletter mailed to 1.4 million employers with information to help them prepare for age legislation. A full evaluation of this initiative confirmed that 95 per cent. of those businesses that ordered the detailed guidance were pleased with the helpful content of the material. To supplement this, tailored publications in employer-favoured top-tips, bulleted or tick-box format have been circulated to businesses to better facilitate their understanding of how best to tackle age discrimination in the workplace and enjoy the resultant business benefits.

Children: Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings of the cross-departmental ministerial group on child poverty have taken place since 1 January 2006; and who attended each meeting.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1046W.
	A new Cabinet sub-committee, Domestic Affairs (Families, Children and Young People), to be chaired by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, will have oversight of child poverty targets such as the Child Poverty Public Service Agreement.

Children: Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Office for National Statistics plans to release the next set of statistics on child poverty in the UK.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 726W.
	The Office for National Statistics does not release statistics on child poverty in the UK.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department issues on recruitment, diversity and employee rights when awarding contracts to external providers for work for his Department.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 28 January 2008
	 It is a mandatory requirement for all external providers of services to the Department to comply with the full range of social legislation, including that covering recruitment, diversity and employee rights. These requirements are set out in the tendering instructions issued to organisations wishing to bid for contracts, and again in the Department's contractual terms and conditions.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what monitoring systems are in place on diversity, equality and employee rights standards for departmental work awarded by contract to external providers.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 28 January 2008
	 The compliance of external providers with standards of diversity, equality and employee rights is regularly monitored by my Department's contract management staff. Contracts can be terminated in the event of a serious breach of these standards.
	The Department has a separate contract with an independent external organisation to check that providers have appropriate diversity and equality policies in place; these checks are made before contracts are awarded, and repeated annually thereafter.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people work in his Department's customer insight team; and what the  (a) remit and  (b) objectives of the team are.

Anne McGuire: The remit of the newly created customer insight function is to act as a centre of excellence, providing professional support and challenge and building organisational capability to ensure the customer is placed at the heart of the Department's service transformation programme.
	The team operates a flexible resource model, consisting of a small core team (currently 11 people) with technical customer insight knowledge and expertise. The core team is supplemented by project resource with the necessary business knowledge to deliver against the following objectives:
	to generate a deep knowledge and understanding of our customersto inform the design, development and delivery of policies and services;
	to build organisational capability across the Department to generate and apply customer insight; and
	to challenge and influence attitudes and behavioursto promote a culture that puts our customers at the heart of everything we do.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is provided in the following table. DWP paper recycling figures are reported in Sustainable Development in Government reports. The figures shown for 2006-07 will be reported by the Sustainable Development Commission early in 2008.
	
		
			   Paper recycled (Tonnes) 
			 2002-03(1) 10,413 
			 2003-04(2) 11,338 
			 2004-05 12,615 
			 2005-06 14,570 
			 2006-07 14,879 
			 (1) Figures for 2002-03 include information on waste generated from buildings on the former DSS estate only. Information on waste generated from buildings on the former Employment Service estate are not available. (2) Figures for 2003-04 include information for the whole year on waste generated from buildings on the former DSS estate, and for one quarter only, for waste generated from buildings on the former Employment Service Estate.

Health and Safety Executive: Buildings

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the office space is of the new Health and Safety Executive headquarters in Bootle;
	(2)  what the original office space of the new Health and Safety Executive headquarters in Bootle was planned to be.

Anne McGuire: The design capacity of the building allows for a maximum occupancy of 1,650 staff on any working day. The building represents a 30 year commitment and was designed to be flexible to take care of present and future needs.
	The building specification required a building with a net internal area (i.e. usable office space excluding stairwells, plant room etc.) of 24,000 m(2) +/- 5 per cent. The building that was delivered has a net internal area of 23,575 m(2).

Incapacity Benefit: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals under 35 years of age were in receipt of incapacity benefit in  (a) Peterborough constituency and  (b) each constituency in the Eastern Region in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance: claimants under 35 by par liamentary constituency in the e astern government office region 
			  As at May each year 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Peterborough 1,060 1,130 1,100 1,050 1,090 1,080 1,100 
			 Basildon 880 930 970 1,000 930 870 890 
			 Bedford 870 860 860 890 980 890 880 
			 Billericay 730 720 810 810 750 720 740 
			 Braintree 710 730 700 670 670 670 670 
			 Brentwood and Ongar 340 340 380 380 360 350 410 
			 Broxbourne 560 580 560 590 600 540 540 
			 Bury St. Edmunds 550 550 540 530 550 530 510 
			 Cambridge 720 710 720 760 780 720 720 
			 Castle Point 450 490 510 520 500 490 500 
			 Central Suffolk and North Ipswich 450 430 440 440 430 430 430 
			 Colchester 990 990 960 950 910 930 940 
			 Epping Forest 540 520 520 560 530 490 490 
			 Great Yarmouth 990 1,000 1,010 990 920 920 920 
			 Harlow 630 650 700 710 670 640 650 
			 Harwich 850 860 870 870 860 860 910 
			 Hemel Hempstead 560 560 600 610 580 570 570 
			 Hertford and Stortford 430 410 410 430 470 470 460 
			 Hertsmere 500 500 510 490 520 470 470 
			 Hitchin and Harpenden 330 330 330 340 360 330 330 
			 Huntingdon 530 570 540 560 590 560 540 
			 Ipswich 920 880 840 870 890 910 910 
			 Luton North 730 720 710 720 760 670 710 
			 Luton South 860 830 870 910 950 900 900 
			 Maldon and East 510 510 500 550 500 470 490 
			 
			  Chelmsford
			 Mid Bedfordshire 350 340 340 370 360 320 310 
			 Mid Norfolk 570 590 570 590 570 560 550 
			 North East Bedfordshire 390 390 410 440 440 410 400 
			 North East Cambridgeshire 690 730 750 790 830 870 870 
			 North East Hertfordshire 420 430 440 450 440 430 410 
			 North Essex 480 470 510 530 500 470 490 
			 North Norfolk 680 710 700 700 690 650 650 
			 North West Cambridgeshire 600 590 620 630 660 680 720 
			 North West Norfolk 890 920 970 960 910 930 910 
			 Norwich North 980 980 910 910 890 900 860 
			 Norwich South 1,170 1,190 1,180 1,250 1,230 1,200 1,240 
			 Rayleigh 370 420 380 420 390 380 380 
			 Rochford and Southend East 1,030 1,080 1,110 1,090 1,070 990 1,020 
			 Saffron Walden 380 350 380 360 320 350 370 
			 St. Albans 510 490 490 510 520 530 500 
			 South Cambridgeshire 420 440 420 440 460 430 410 
			 South East Cambridgeshire 420 410 440 470 470 470 440 
			 South Norfolk 590 630 610 590 600 540 570 
			 South Suffolk 460 440 460 450 450 410 410 
			 South West Bedfordshire 520 520 540 550 560 520 530 
			 South West Hertfordshire 340 360 350 350 360 370 370 
			 South West Norfolk 710 680 680 710 760 680 700 
			 Southend West 560 560 560 560 560 570 560 
			 Stevenage 580 610 660 670 650 640 650 
			 Suffolk Coastal 440 430 420 430 420 450 450 
			 Thurrock 880 870 890 930 890 880 880 
			 Watford 540 540 600 610 600 600 610 
			 Waveney 940 930 900 900 840 800 790 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 600 600 600 690 690 640 640 
			 West Chelmsford 450 470 510 520 550 530 540 
			 West Suffolk 490 510 540 540 500 490 520 
			 Total 35,180 35,460 35,900 36,550 36,340 35,150 35,390 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Industrial Health and Safety: Music

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an employer's duty of care includes taking account of the volume of music broadcast in the workplace; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Employers do have a general duty of care to employees under civil law. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 also requires employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes protection to hearing from workplace noise. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and related guidance set out the duties and advice on controlling noise from music and other workplace noise. Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sets out the general duties of employers covering members of the public.

Jobcentre Plus: Dismissal

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the Jobcentre Plus staff dismissed between October 2006 and September 2007 for unsatisfactory attendance receive incapacity benefit; and how much such benefit they have received as at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 30 January 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many of the Jobcentre Plus staff dismissed between October 2006 and September 2007 for unsatisfactory attendance receive Incapacity Benefit; and how much benefit they have received as at the most recent date for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Data Protection Act prevents us from checking whether any individual is in receipt of benefit except as required to administer that benefit. Further we are not permitted to disclose any details without their written permission.

Poverty

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many children were living in households in poverty in Peterborough constituency in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in the Peterborough City Council area were living in a household where the income was less than 40 per cent. of median income in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not available below the level of Government office region.
	Our child poverty statistics, published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, allow a breakdown of child poverty by Government office region. However, we do not present information covering 40 per cent. of median income, or any lower thresholds, in our HBAI publication as it is not a reliable measure of poverty.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Aerials: Planning Permission

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many planning applications have been refused as a result of mobile telephone operators not being able to demonstrate that they have fully considered all options for the proposed new base station.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Local planning authorities are not required to inform central Government of the reasons for refusing planning permission.

Certification Officer: Trade Unions

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Certification Officer's office has a recognition agreement with a trade union.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 24 January 2008
	The Certification Office does not have a recognition agreement with a trade union. However, Certification Office staff are all Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service staff provided to the Certification Officer by ACAS. ACAS has a recognition agreement with the Public and Commercial Services and the PDA.

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation: Finance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what Government support is being provided to the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation in 2007-08.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 December 2007
	I am not aware of any direct Government support being provided to the organisation in 2007-08.

Energy Technologies Institute: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff are employed by the Energy Technologies Institute.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Energy Technologies Institute was legally established on 12 December 2007 as a limited liability partnership. The Institute currently employs one full-time permanent member of staffthe chief executive. In addition, there are currently 12 interim staff and three secondees engaged at the ETI headquarters.

Energy: Prices

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measure is used to calculate the annual uprating of the buyout price under the renewables obligation; and when the price will next be uprated.

Malcolm Wicks: Ofgem calculate the buy-out price on an annual basis to reflect changes in the retail prices index (RPI). The buy-out price for the renewables obligation for 2008-09 is 35.76 as announced by Ofgem on 28 January 2008.

Fuel Poverty

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) people and  (b) households in each parliamentary constituency were in fuel poverty in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Fuel poverty is defined on a household basis and as such the number of people in fuel poverty is not available.
	Regional estimates of fuel poverty are available only for England in 2003 and are taken from the fuel poverty indicator (FPI) dataset, available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	It is important to note that the FPI only predicts the level of fuel poverty in individual areas. It cannot take into account local circumstances. As with all small area indicators, it is important to use local knowledge and data to complement the FPI when developing local fuel poverty programmes. A table showing the approximate levels of fuel poverty in 2003 for each constituency has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Fuels: Competition

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to encourage a competitive energy market in the bottled gas and oil sector for households that are off-network.

Malcolm Wicks: The price of bottled gas and other oil derived products is influenced by the price of oil in the international oil market. The Government believe that the consumer is best served by the operation of open competition between companies, and the supply of oil products is a commercial matter, subject to UK competition law under the Competition Act 1998. The regulation of supply of oil products, including bottled gas, to consumers is therefore the responsibility of the Office of Fair Trading, which monitors the market.
	In addition, the Competition Commission (CC) recently carried out an investigation into the supply of bulk liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The conclusions were published in June 2006, and are available at:
	www.competition-commission.org.uk.
	The report highlighted a number of issues that prevent, restrict, or distort competition for the supply of domestic LPG, and provides measures to be taken. Following which the CC arrived at a package of remedies, consulted on these, and is looking to impose them through an order on the industry. More information is available on the CC's website:
	http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/gas/index.htm
	The proposed remedies will also try and address the issue of price transparency, as they propose that LPG suppliers will be required by order to:
	provide to any industry trade associations of which they are members contact details and details of areas served; and
	provide price quotes on their web sites and over the phone to consumers.
	The OFT has been closely involved in this work as it has progressed. The order is likely to be published in January and it will come into full force later in 2008. The OFT will monitor the effect of the order and follow up any alleged breaches of it with the suppliers concerned. It is to be expected that the increased ability of consumers to switch supplier will increase competition in the market and put downward pressure on prices.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform who the members are of the panel which considers challenges to the Ofgem industry codes.

Malcolm Wicks: Gas and electricity licences require the establishment of industry codes which set out the detailed rules that underpin operation of the market and terms for connection and access to energy networks. Some alterations to these codes require Ofgem's consent.
	Challenges to Ofgem code decisions can be undertaken in two ways; either by judicial review or by an appeal to the Competition Commission under the Energy Act 2004.
	The Competition Commission appoints members of the panel responsible for determining code appeals. These members can be anyone the Competition Commission believes has sufficient knowledge of the subject matter of the case and who is available for the duration of the appeal.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the dates have been of challenges to the Ofgem industry codes in the last five years; and what the outcome was of each.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been four challenges in the last five years to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority's (GEMA's) decisions concerning the industry codes. Two of these were by way of appeals to the Competition Commission under section 173 of the Energy Act 2004 and two by way of judicial review.
	Utilita Electricity Limited lodged an appeal on 13 April 2006 with regard to Ofgem's decision on a modification proposal to the Balance and Settlement Code PI94: Revised Derivation of the 'Main' Energy Imbalance Price. Utilita withdrew its appeal on 4 May 2006.
	E.ON UK plc lodged an appeal on 30 April 2007 with regards to Ofgem's decision on a modification proposal to the Uniform Network Code: UNC 116: Reform of NTS Offtake Arrangements. The appeal was upheld in part.
	Drax Power Limited, Scottish Power Generation Limited and Teesside Power Limited sought a judicial review in 2003 of the Authority's decision on a modification proposal to the Balance and Settlement Code: P82: Introduction of zonal transmission losses on an average basis. Ofgem's decision was quashed.
	Certain industry parties applied on 10 December 2007 for judicial review of a relatively recent decision of GEMA's concerning proposals to modify one of the industry codes, namely the Balancing and Settlement Code.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Ofgem industry codes were last reviewed or updated.

Malcolm Wicks: The industry codes are subject to modification change proposals that are presented to Ofgem for a decision. Each code has its own set of modification rules which are presided over by a code modification panel.
	Since the inception of the codes, Ofgem has frequently initiated policy projects aimed at reviewing or reforming aspects of the gas and electricity market and trading arrangements. In many cases, these projects have impacts on particular areas of the codes. Examples of such projects include reviews of the new electricity trading arrangements in 2002, the new gas trading arrangements in 2000 and the current transmission access and electricity cash-out reviews.
	Ofgem is also currently in the process of initiating an industry wide code governance review. This review is considering among other things the role and treatment of environmental issues within the codes framework.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what changes to the Ofgem industry codes have been implemented in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Over 1,200 modifications have been received by Ofgem over the last five years. Of these Ofgem directed the implementation of 869 across all the industry codes. For the more significant codes, the breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Code  Decisions  Accepted 
			 Network code 143 94 
			 Uniform network code 157 101 
			 Balance and settlement code 112 62 
			 Connection and use of system code 105 86 
		
	
	Details of the changes can be found on the following web pages:
	 Network  c ode
	http://www.gasgovernance.com/Code/TranscoNetwork CodeArchive/Mods/
	 Uniform network code
	http://www.gasgovernance.com/Code/Modifications/
	 Balance and settlement code
	http://www.elexon.co.uk/changeimplementation/ModificationProcess/modificationdocumentation/default.aspx
	Connection and use of system code
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/Codes/system code/amendments/

Heating: Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with suppliers of liquefied petroleum gas for domestic heating on the fairness to consumers of their pricing policies.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 January 2008
	There have been no recent discussions between my Department and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers. However, I am aware that the Competition Commission are currently consulting upon measures they plan to take following their 2006 report into the LPG market.

Metals

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to set minimum volumes of copper and other specified metals which scrap metal merchants may purchase in a single transaction; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of such a regime upon thefts of small quantities of those metals.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	We are aware of the recent increase in thefts of metal such as copper, much of which is sold through scrap metal dealers. We are working closely with the police and the industries affected to develop plans to deal with these crimes.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has set up a working group which includes Home Office representation and this group is looking at a wider range of proposals for tackling the problem, which will include assessing the scope and effectiveness of current legislation.

Microgeneration: Research

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding his Department has allocated for research into microgeneration technologies between September 2007 and the end of the financial year 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Technology Strategy Board, an executive non-departmental public body of DIUS, is proposing to invest in microgeneration and solar photovoltaic technology activities under the forthcoming Low Carbon Energy technologies call within the TSB's Collaborative R and D programme which was launched 19 December 2007 and has an indicative budget of 10 million. In addition to microgeneration/solar photovoltaic areas, priorities include Carbon Abatement Technologies, Hydrogen and Fuel cells, Intelligent Grid Management and Bioenergy. Funding has not been earmarked for each specific technology and the appropriate budget will be allocated following a competition in which projects submitted within these priorities will be assessed and ranked against the Technology Strategy Board criteria. Also in this period the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has awarded a 6.3 million grant for a consortium to investigate Photovoltaic Materials for the 21(st) Century.

Natural Gas

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the United Kingdom's total storage capacity for liquefied natural gas is; and what recent proposals he has considered to increase this capacity.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The total capacity of Great Britain's existing fixed storage capacity for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is estimated as the equivalent of 310 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas in gaseous form.
	This comprises:
	LNG storage 'bullets' (integral to National Grid's transportation system)capacity equivalent to 260 mcm;
	LNG storage facilities at import terminalscapacity equivalent to 50 mcm.
	Major LNG storage capacity will also be provided at the two new LNG import terminals which are expected to be commissioned at Milford Haven later this year.
	The Government do not dictate specific projects. In a liberalised gas market, in which businesses make commercial decisions on which facilities to develop, the Government's role is to enable commercial projects by providing an appropriate regulatory framework.

Personation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to protect the public from identity fraud.

Meg Hillier: I have been asked to reply.
	We are involved in a variety of activity to protect the public from identity fraud. A public-private sector work programme, the Identity Fraud Steering Committee, was set up in 2003 to co-ordinate this work. There have been a number of successes. Tougher criminal penalties have been introduced for driving licence and passport offences, alongside offences in the Identity Cards Act 2006 to target those who possess and use false identity documents and genuine documents belonging to someone else.
	Face to face interviews of first time passport applicants over 16 years old are now taking place in 66 interview offices to verify the identity of individuals, and this is one of a series of measures to improve the prevention and detection of fraudulent passport applications. In addition the Passport Validation Service allows public and private sector organisations to check passports presented as proof of identity against the passport database, realising significant savings in its 18 months of operation.
	More powers to share data to combat fraud have been enacted, and most recently the Disclosure of Death Registration Information Scheme was launched on 16 January 2008. We have sought to ensure better co-ordination in prosecuting fraudsters, and have worked extensively to raise public awareness.
	Finally, our plans for a national identity scheme will provide people with a highly secure means of protecting their identity and help citizens to prove their identities easily, quickly and with vastly improved security.

Post Offices: Closures

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what provision has been made to protect vulnerable post office users who will lose access to post office counter services as a result of branch closure.

Patrick McFadden: The Government introduced a minimum access criteria to maintain a national network of post offices and, in particular, to protect vulnerable post office users in deprived urban, rural and remote areas:
	Nationally, 99 per cent. of the UK population to be within three miles and 90 per cent. of the population to be within one mile of their nearest post office outlet.
	99 per cent. of the total population in deprived urban areas across the UK to be within one mile of their nearest post office outlet.
	95 per cent. of the total urban population across the UK to be within one mile of their nearest post office outlet.
	95 per cent. of the total rural population across the UK to be within three miles of their nearest post office outlet.
	In addition, the following criterion will apply at the level of every individual postcode district (of which there are some 2,800 in the UK), establishing a minimum level of coverage at a very local level:
	95 per cent. of the population of the postcode district to be within six miles of their nearest post office outlet.
	In applying the criteria, Post Office Ltd. will be required to consider the availability of public transport and alternative access to key post office services, local demographics and the impact on local economies. The introduction of these additional factors addresses widespread concerns from respondents to the consultation. Post Office Ltd. will also take account of local conditions such as rivers, mountains and valleys, motorways and sea crossings to islands.

Post Offices: Closures

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches earmarked for closure as part of the Network Change programme were profitable.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 January 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches earmarked for closure as part of the Network Change programme have had that decision changed following the public consultation process.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 January 2008
	As at 22 January 2008, Post Office Ltd. had announced that 20 proposed post office closures would not proceed, following local public consultations on eight area plans.

Post Offices: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total subsidy was to post offices in Lancashire in the latest year for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the minimum number of post office branches is that would allow Post Office Ltd to fulfil the minimum access criteria laid down in the Network Change programme.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 January 2008
	Post Office Ltd. currently estimates that the minimum size of network necessary to meet the access criteria is around 7,500 offices. But it remains Government policy to maintain a sustainable network of around 11,500 post offices and the 1.7 billion funding package announced on 17 May supports the network at that level to 2011. The access criteria set a minimum floor for the network size and Post Office Ltd. has been asked to undertake, in consultation with Postwatch, an updated study and analysis of the minimum number of post offices required to meet the access criteria.

Post Offices: Urban Areas

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches classified as urban there were at the end of the financial year 2006-07.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 January 2008
	I understand from Post Office Ltd. that as at end March 2007, 6,477 post offices were classified as urban.

Regional Development Agencies: Consultants

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how much each regional development agency spent on consultants in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07;
	(2)  what procedures and criteria are applied by regional development agencies to the selection and appointment of consultants; and what tasks regional development agencies have appointed consultants to undertake since 2004.

Patrick McFadden: Consultancy services have been identified as services commissioned by RDAs to inform the management of the Agency, organisational development, strategy development, and communications and marketing. The services are used when the necessary knowledge and resources cannot be found in-house.
	This definition does not relate to services for specific project or programme delivery (for example legal advice on land deals as part of development projects).
	The following table shows how much each RDA has spent on consultants in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. Figures in 000.
	
		
			  000 
			  RDAs  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM 672 496 247 
			 EEDA 226 714 563 
			 EMDA 149 228 148 
			 LDA 335 287 (1)1,400 
			 NWDA 792 535 518 
			 ONE 200 309 197 
			 SEEDA 125 98 120 
			 SWRDA 648 557 281 
			 YF 296 194 228 
			 (1) LDA. An Agency wide restructure was key to implementing changes required to align the LDA management team with the challenges and opportunities presented as a result of London winning the 2012 Olympics. Consultants were employed to oversee the restructure and the 'New ways of Working' project. 
		
	
	Consultancy services are procured in accordance with OJEU and public procurement regulations (public contract regulations 2003 and 2006), and individual RDA financial memoranda and regulations.
	Appointments are made either through a pre-tendered panel of suppliers or through a competitive procurement process. RDA procurement procedures include documented tender specification, and an assessment of the supplier's financial standing, pricing, quality and capacity to deliver the assignment and value for money.

Renewable Energy

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of renewable energy in England came from landfill and bio-sewage gas in 2006-07.

Malcolm Wicks: The latest available information relates to 2006 when 4.1 per cent. of renewable energy in the UK (in terms of total primary energy supply) came from sewage gas, and 30.3 per cent. came from landfill gas. Figures for England only are not available.
	In terms of total final energy consumption (the basis used for the EU renewables targets announced last week), in 2006, 4.1 per cent. of renewable energy in the UK came from sewage gas, while 18.2 per cent. came from landfill gas. The contribution from landfill gas is lower under this measurement because nearly all landfill gas is used for electricity generation and losses incurred in transforming the gas into electricity are not included in the final consumption basis.

South East England Development Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) turnover and  (b) profit the South East England Development Agency realised from its (i) Enterprise Gateway projects and (ii) Enterprise hubs in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: Turnover and profit figures are not collected for businesses participating in enterprise gateways and hubs.

South East England Development Agency: Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions the South East England Development Agency has held with stakeholders in the last year about  (a) the development of Shoreham Harbour and  (b) the infrastructure improvements to transport links with Shoreham Harbour.

Patrick McFadden: The information is as follows.
	 (a) SEEDA has taken a lead role with key stakeholders to secure the policy and delivery framework for this major exemplar of regional development in the Shoreham Harbour area:
	a steering group chaired by SEEDA, together with sub-groups, was formed to look at specific issues, with the full support of Adur district council, Brighton and Hove city council, West Sussex county council and GOSE. In addition, Shoreham port authority, the Environment Agency and the Highways Agency are all part of the group.
	meetings have taken place on a monthly basis over the last year and the stakeholders have been given the opportunity to guide and scrutinise the actions of the project.
	discussions have also taken place with the transport team within GOSE, Transport Department and the Highways Agency together with the Local Authorities Highways department to establish that the vision being promoted by SEEDA is capable of being implemented with the approval of the wider stakeholder community.
	many stakeholders have been given opportunity to guide and scrutinise the actions of SEEDA on the project, although as yet it is still in the very early exploratory stages.
	 (b) Transport issues are just one aspect of the project that will need to be assessed to establish that the vision now being promoted by SEEDA is capable of being implemented with the approval of the wider stakeholder community. This includes the need for any additional infrastructure. To date:
	briefing has been supplied to the elected representatives in the local councils at key stages, and now all three local authorities covering the area have formally agreed to participate in a Joint Area Action Plan. This will explore systematically the scope for introducing new homes and employment in the Shoreham area, and will be subject to the full statutory planning process, including public consultation.
	work on the Action Area Plan is only just starting now, but will offer all stakeholdersincluding individual members of the publicopportunities to consider the benefits and sustainability of any development proposals, and to submit their views before planning permission is granted.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of whether the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 has any implications for policy making in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will shortly begin a formal consultation on the implementation of the Act. My Department will assess any requests, in due course, that are relevant to my responsibilities.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the impact of the Building Schools for the Future project on the future budgets of  (a) schools and  (b) local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Twenty-first century school buildings, built to current high quality and sustainability standards, should have lower running and maintenance costs than the unsuitable and time-expired buildings which they will replace. They will allow more resources to be focused on the core activities of improving children's attainment and life chances.
	In addition, as part of the work undertaken for the initial pilot projects, the Department reviewed the funding for PFI projects to ensure that the contribution that local authorities and schools make to the unitary charge was affordable. This had the effect of increasing the level of support from central Government for PFI projects than was the case prior to BSF.

Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1269-70W, on education, what the names are of the four unregistered settings referred to in the answer.

Jim Knight: The current registration requirements only apply to independent schools that offer full-time education. There is currently no requirement for part-time providers to register. As every child is entitled to full-time education, parents, local authorities or others will, where appropriate, need to supplement part-time provision to ensure that children receive their full education entitlement.
	There is currently no statutory definition of 'part-time' and 'full-time' education in terms of hours or days spent studying and we understand that the providers named as follows provide a large proportion, and in some cases all, of their pupils' education provision. We believe that settings where children receive a substantial proportion of their education should be regulated with a light touch compared to schools in the maintained sector, but that it should still be ensured that the premises are safe. We think it important that all necessary personnel suitability checks are completed, appropriate child welfare arrangements are in place, and children learn and make progress. We are confident that any goodquality provision will meet the independent school standards as they are flexible enough to cover many different types of provision. There is no requirement to follow the national curriculum, or to employ teachers with qualified teacher status, for example.
	We have no comprehensive record of part-time providers of education. The responses to our consultation suggested that there are some settings we are unaware of that may need to register under current proposals. Before the new legislation comes into force, we will work with any institution that will need to register to ensure it is clear about our requirements and time scales.
	The four unregistered settings, in the same order as they appeared in my previous answer, are as follows:
	Tyndale Academy;
	Headstart Learning Centre;
	The Children's Garden;
	Kid's Company.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what were the 10 subjects most frequently studied to GCSE level in each category of school in the last period for which figures are available; and how many students studied each subject.

Jim Knight: The following tables show the 10 subjects most studied to GCSE level in 2007 for each type of school. Numbers and percentages are provided. The overall figures for England are also included. National figures for all subjects can be found in the SFR GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England 2006/07 (Revised), available at
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml.
	
		
			  GCSE attempts and achievements( 1)  in selected subjects of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4( 2)  in schools (number), years: 2006/07( 3)  (Revised), coverage: England 
			Community School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 360,675 97 
			 2 English 356,159 96 
			 3 English Literature 294,772 80 
			 4 Double Award Science 255,995 69 
			 5 History 107,743 29 
			 6 Art and Design 107,229 29 
			 7 Geography 98,035 27 
			 8 Physical Education 93,794 25 
			 9 French 90,271 24 
			 10 Drama 59,578 16 
		
	
	
		
			Voluntary Aided School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 83,579 98 
			 2 English 83,085 98 
			 3 English Literature 71,981 85 
			 4 Religious Studies 62,959 74 
			 5 Double Award Science 60,038 71 
			 6 History 28,852 34 
			 7 French 28,532 34 
			 8 Geography 25,212 30 
			 9 Art and Design 22,505 26 
			 10 Physical Education 20,453 24 
		
	
	
		
			Voluntary Controlled School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 19,142 98 
			 2 English 18,983 98 
			 3 English Literature 16,725 86 
			 4 Double Award Science 13,960 72 
			 5 French 6,718 35 
			 6 History 6,018 31 
			 7 Art and Design 5,871 30 
			 8 Geography 5,721 29 
			 9 Physical Education 5,202 27 
			 10 Business Studies 3,510 18 
		
	
	
		
			Foundation School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 106,591 98 
			 2 English 105,895 98 
			 3 English Literature 91,998 85 
			 4 Double Award Science 74,413 69 
			 5 History 35,715 33 
			 6 French 33,681 31 
			 7 Geography 32,324 30 
			 8 Art and Design 31,425 29 
			 9 Physical Education 27,457 25 
			 10 Religious Studies 19,062 18 
		
	
	
		
			City Technology College 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 1,744 100 
			 2 English 1,743 100 
			 3 English Literature 1,596 92 
			 4 Double Award Science 770 44 
			 5 French 709 41 
			 6 History 622 36 
			 7 Geography 581 33 
			 8 Physical Education 480 28 
			 9 Business Studies 457 26 
			 10 Art and Design 427 25 
		
	
	
		
			Academy 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 6,141 96 
			 2 English 6,036 94 
			 3 English Literature 4,566 71 
			 4 Double Award Science 3,494 55 
			 5 Art and Design 1,530 24 
			 6 Single Award Science 1,361 21 
			 7 History 1,225 19 
			 8 Religious Studies 1,072 17 
			 9 Physical Education 1,033 16 
			 10 Geography 963 15 
		
	
	
		
			   Community Special School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 2,098 22 
			 2 Art and Design 1,421 15 
			 3 Single Award Science 1,281 13 
			 4 English 1,164 12 
			 5 D  T: Resistant Materials 294 3 
			 6 English Literature 218 2 
			 7 Drama 175 2 
			 8 Double Award Science 153 2 
			 9 Physical Education 135 1 
			 10 Information Technology(4) 128 1 
		
	
	
		
			Foundation Special School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 English 79 34 
			 2 Mathematics 54 23 
			 3 Single Award Science 48 21 
			 4 Art and Design 44 19 
			 5 English Literature 23 10 
			 6 Geography 23 10 
			 7 Drama 7 3 
			 8 Double Award Science (5) (6) 
			 9 N/A N/A N/A 
			 10 N/A N/A N/A 
		
	
	
		
			Non Maintained Special School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of  pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 247 39 
			 2 English 178 28 
			 3 Art and Design 172 27 
			 4 Single Award Science 145 23 
			 5 Double Award Science 64 10 
			 6 D  T: Resistant Materials 62 10 
			 7 English Literature 54 9 
			 8 French 54 9 
			 9 History 40 6 
			 10 Geography 25 4 
		
	
	
		
			Independent Special School 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of pupils attempting subject 
			 1 Mathematics 432 59 
			 2 English 363 50 
			 3 Single Award Science 235 32 
			 4 Art and Design 234 32 
			 5 D  T: Resistant Materials 147 20 
			 6 Double Award Science 145 20 
			 7 Geography 88 12 
			 8 English Literature 79 11 
			 9 Physical Education 65 9 
			 10 History 62 8 
		
	
	
		
			Independent Schools 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of pupils attempting subject 
			 1 English 43,506 93 
			 2 English Literature 40,066 86 
			 3 Mathematics 33,484 72 
			 4 French 28,778 62 
			 5 Double Award Science 25,583 55 
			 6 History 23,875 51 
			 7 Geography 21,858 47 
			 8 Biological Sciences 15,423 33 
			 9 Art and Design 15,003 32 
			 10 Chemistry 14,326 31 
		
	
	
		
			All Schools 
			   Subject  Number of attempts  Percentage of pupils attempting subject 
			 1 English 619,481 95 
			 2 Mathematics 616,890 95 
			 3 English Literature 522,446 80 
			 4 Double Award Science 434,779 67 
			 5 History 204,251 31 
			 6 French 189,740 29 
			 7 Art and Design 186,483 29 
			 8 Geography 184,978 28 
			 9 Physical Education 155,510 24 
			 10 Religious Studies 155,249 24 
			 (1) For each subject only one attempt is counted - that which achieved the highest grade. (2) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2006/07 academic year. (3) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (4) Also includes Computer Studies, Information Systems and any combined syllabus of which Information Technology is the major part. (5) Less than 5 pupils. (6) Percentage based on a figure less than 5.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of children at local education authority maintained schools gained GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics in  (a) Newcastle upon Tyne Local Education Authority,  (b) England and  (c) each English region in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 January 2008
	The information on the number of pupils achieving five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is shown in the tables.
	The information is collected for the Statistical First Release 'GGSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England (Revised)' which is published annually and can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml
	
		
			  GCSE or equivalent results by local authority and government office region: 1997  to  2007 , n umber  and percentage of 15-year- olds gaining 5+ GCSEs or equivalent at grades A*- C including English and Maths 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			  No.  %   No.  %   No.  %   No.  %   No.  %   No.  % 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 673 24.9 671 25.0 757 27.5 731 27.9 829 29.7 823 29.6 
			  
			 North East 8,758 28.0 8,642 28.4 9,433 30.8 10,026 32.9 10,684 33.6 11,030 34.8 
			 North West 25,718 32.2 26,128 32.9 28,378 35.1 29,477 36.7 30,907 36.8 32,259 38.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 16,765 28.8 17,023 29.9 18,220 31.6 19,228 33.2 20,076 33.6 21,067 34.9 
			 East Midlands 15,272 31.9 15,345 33.1 16,462 35.1 17,018 36.1 18,137 37.2 19,173 38.8 
			 West Midlands 18,493 30.1 18,994 31.2 20,966 33.8 21,530 35.1 22,864 35.8 23,950 37.5 
			 East of England 21,004 35.4 21,917 38.0 22,758 39.5 23,559 40.4 24,919 41.3 25,759 42.2 
			 Inner London 4,436 21.4 4,741 22.8 5,132 24.3 5,472 25.5 6,150 28.3 6,491 30.0 
			 Outer London 15,288 33.8 16,514 37.0 17,270 38.3 18,014 39.6 18,989 40.6 20,081 42.4 
			 London 19,724 29.9 21,255 32.4 22,402 33.9 23,486 35.1 25,139 36.7 26,572 38.5 
			 South East 30,883 37.2 31,066 38.9 33,254 40.9 34,052 42.1 36,388 43.1 37,428 44.1 
			 South West 18,373 36.1 19,123 37.9 19,927 39.4 20,771 40.8 22,131 41.7 23,225 43.2 
			  
			 England (Maintained Sector) 174,990 32.5 179,493 34.0 191,800 39.4 199,147 37.3 211,245 38.1 220,463 39.5 
		
	
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  No.  %   No.  %   No.  %   No.  %   No.  % 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 886 30.4 888 31.9 870 33.2 957 33.3 1,079 37.9 
			
			 North East 11,125 34.7 11,584 35.7 11,785 38.0 12,779 40.3 13,585 41.7 
			 North West 32,345 37.9 34,298 39.0 35,209 40.7 37,049 42.0 39,777 44.5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 21,611 35.0 23,006 36.5 24,114 39.0 25,357 40.2 27,077 42.3 
			 East Midlands 19,328 38.3 20,414 39.0 21,187 40.7 22,595 42.8 23,920 44.2 
			 West Midlands 24,266 37.2 25,435 38.1 26,741 40.3 28,095 41.5 29,651 43.1 
			 East of England 26,333 41.9 27,619 42.5 28,897 44.8 30,472 46.5 31,868 48.2 
			 Inner London 7,012 31.7 7,803 34.5 8,307 36.6 9,090 39.1 9,684 42.2 
			 Outer London 20,833 42.8 22,298 43.9 23,083 45.9 24,756 48.6 25,799 50.2 
			 London 27,845 39.3 30,101 41.0 31,390 43.0 33,846 45.6 35,483 47.7 
			 South East 39,329 44.7 40,693 42.3 41,947 46.3 43,652 47.6 45,313 49.2 
			 South West 23,781 42.8 25,313 43.6 26,090 45.4 26,763 46.0 27,289 47.0 
			
			 England (Maintained Sector) 225,963 42.8 238,463 40.4 247,360 46.7 260,608 43.9 273,963 45.7

Languages

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1898-1902W, on languages, 
	(1)  at which maintained mainstream schools no pupils were entered for a GCSE in  (a) a modern foreign language,  (b) history and  (c) geography in 2006;
	(2)  how many 15-year-olds attended the maintained mainstream schools where no pupils were entered for a GCSE in  (a) a modern foreign language,  (b) history and  (c) geography in 2006.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 January 2008
	Answers to these questions can be found in the columns to which the hon. Member refers.

Modern Languages

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to his answer of 21 January 2008 to question 177817, on modern languages, if he will list the mainstream secondary schools that have not entered students for a GCSE modern language in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 January 2008
	The information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of maintained mainstream schools with no students entered for a GCSE in a modern language (2005-07) 
			   Number 
			 2007 27 
			 2006 27 
			 2005 38 
			  Note: 2007 and 2006 figures look at any modern language GCSE. 2005 is for French, German or Spanish only. 
		
	
	
		
			  Mainstream maintained schools with no students entered for a GCSE in a modern language2006-07 
			  LA  LA Code  Lea e stab  School name 
			 Birmingham 330 3304206 Stockland Green Technology College 
			 Birmingham 330 3305900 St. Paul's Community Foundation School 
			 Liverpool 341 3414783 Campion Catholic High School 
			 Bolton 350 3505402 George Tomlinson School 
			 Barnsley 370 3704026 Willogarth High School 
			 Barnsley 370 3706905 The Barnsley Academy 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 391 3914500 All Saints College 
			 Hartlepool 805 8054131 Dyke House Comprehensive School 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 807 8074120 Gillbrook Technology College 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 808 8084106 Blakeston Schoola community sports college 
			 Durham 840 8404192 Durham Community Business College for Technology and Enterprise 
			 Durham 840 8404218 Wellfield Community Schoola specialist maths and computing college 
			 Durham 840 8404280 Easington Community School 
			 Portsmouth 851 8514302 King Richard Secondary School 
			 Staffordshire 860 8604071 Blake Valley Technology College 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 861 8614185 Mitchell High School 
			 Reading 870 8706905 John Madejski Academy 
			 Essex 881 8815400 Chalvedon School 
			 Thurrock 883 8835449 Hassenbrook Schoolspecialist technology college 
			 Lancashire 888 8884005 Skerton Community High School 
			 Nottingham 892 8924060 Fareham Community College 
			 Nottingham 892 8924460 The River Leen School 
			 Cumbria 909 9094005 Lochinvar School 
			 Cumbria 909 9095408 North Cumbria Technology College 
			 Northumberland 929 9295400 Astley Community High School 
			 Oxfordshire 931 9314074 Peers School 
			 Somerset 933 9335401 Brymore School 
		
	
	
		
			  Mainstream maintained schools with no students entered for a GCSE in a modern language2005-06 
			  LA  LA Code  Leaestab  School name 
			 Birmingham 330 3304206 Stockland Green Technology College 
			 Birmingham 330 3305900 St. Paul's Community Foundation School 
			 Walsall 335 3356905 Walsall Academy 
			 Liverpool 341 3414783 Campion Catholic High School 
			 Liverpool 341 3414795 De La Salle Humanities College 
			 Liverpool 341 3416905 The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi 
			 Salford 355 3554026 Buile Hill High School 
			 Barnsley 370 3704019 The Elmhirst School 
			 Calderdale 381 3814036 The Ridings School 
			 Sunderland 394 3944014 Hylton Red House Comprehensive School 
			 Hartlepool 805 8054131 Dyke House Comprehensive School 
			 Middlesbrough 806 8064122 Ormesby School 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 810 8104004 Kingswood High School 
			 Buckinghamshire 825 8254048 Quarrendon School 
			 Buckinghamshire 825 8254094 The Wye Valley School 
			 Durham 840 8404052 Fyndoune Community College 
			 Durham 840 8404192 Durham Community Business College for Technology and Enterprise 
			 Portsmouth 851 8514302 King Richard Secondary School 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 861 8614185 Mitchell High School 
			 Bracknell Forest 867 8674030 The Brakenhale School 
			 Reading 870 8704013 Thamesbridge College 
			 Halton 876 8764218 Halton High School 
			 Essex 881 8815417 Furtherwick Park School 
			 Thurrock 883 8834299 The Ockendon School 
			 Lancashire 888 8884005 Skerton Community High School 
			 Lincolnshire 925 9255410 The Castle Hills Community Arts College 
			 Somerset 933 9335401 Brymore School 
		
	
	
		
			  Mainstream maintained schools with no students entered for a GCSE in a modern language2004-05 
			  LA  LA code  Leaestab  School name 
			 Ealing 307 3076905 West London Academy 
			 Hillingdon 312 3126905 Stockley Academy 
			 Sutton 319 3194000 Carshalton Boys' Sports College 
			 Birmingham 330 3304138 Golden Hillock Schoola specialist college for sport and the arts 
			 Birmingham 330 3304173 Queensbridge School 
			 Birmingham 330 3304206 Stockland Green Technology College 
			 Birmingham 330 3304332 The Heartlands High School 
			 Birmingham 330 3304334 Al-Hijrah Secondary School 
			 Birmingham 330 3305900 St. Paul's Community Foundation School 
			 Coventry 331 3314035 Woodway Park School and Community College 
			 Sandwell 333 3334026 George Salter High School 
			 Liverpool 341 3414783 Campion Catholic High School 
			 Manchester 352 3524256 Burnage High School 
			 Manchester 352 3524766 St. Paul's Catholic High School 
			 Barnsley 370 3704026 Willowgarth High School 
			 Sheffield 373 3734281 Parkwood High School 
			 Bradford 380 3804613 Feversham College 
			 Bradford 380 3805404 Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College 
			 Leeds 383 3834757 Agnes Stewart Church of England High School 
			 Bristol, City of 801 8014038 Withywood Community School 
			 Buckinghamshire 825 8254048 Quarrendon School 
			 Buckinghamshire 825 8254067 Mandeville Upper School 
			 Derby 831 8314608 Da Vinci Community College 
			 Bournemouth 837 8374189 Oakmead College of Technology 
			 Brighton and Hove 846 8464000 East Brighton College of Media Arts 
			 Portsmouth 851 8514302 King Richard Secondary School 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 861 8614815 Mitchell High School 
			 Wiltshire 865 8655416 Castledown School 
			 Reading 870 8704013 Thamesbridge College 
			 Slough 871 8714085 Beechwood School 
			 Essex 881 8815400 Chalvedon School 
			 Thurrock 883 8834392 The Aveley School 
			 Kent 886 8865427 Tunbridge Wells High School 
			 Nottingham 892 8924060 Fairham Community College 
			 Nottingham 892 8924436 Henry Mellish Comprehensive School 
			 Nottingham 892 8924461 Haden Park High School 
			 Lincolnshire 925 9254016 The Lafford High School, Billinghay 
			 Somerset 933 9335401 Brymore School

Special Educational Needs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of referred children received a provisional assessment of special educational needs statement within 18 weeks in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Children may be referred to their local authority for a statutory assessment of special educational needs through, a request from their school or setting, a request from their parent or a referral by another agency. The local authority must then decide whether to conduct an assessment based on the initial evidence provided. The Government do not hold data on the total number of children referred for a statutory assessment.
	Following a statutory assessment, the local authority must decide whether or not a child should receive a statement. The number of children in each local authority who receive a statutory assessment but do not receive a statement is recorded and is set out for each year from 1998 below.
	The Audit Commission publishes figures on the proportion of draft statements issued by each local authority within 18 weeks of the start of the statutory assessment process. This information(1), broken down by local authority, is available from
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk
	(1) Best Value Performance Indicator 43a and b give the proportion of draft statements issued within 18 weeks excluding and including the permitted exceptions to the time limits respectively since 2000-01. The proportion of draft statements issued within 18 weeks excluding exceptions was collected as indicator K12b from 1997-98 until 1999-2000 and as indicator K10b in 1996-97.

Teenage Pregnancies: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the rate of teenage pregnancy in Barnet was  (a) in 1997 and  (b) in each of the last two years; what steps his Department is taking in relation to teenage pregnancies; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The number and rate of under-18 conceptions in Barnet for each year from 1997 to 2005 (the latest year for which data are available) are provided in the table as follows.
	
		
			   Number  Rate 
			 1997 171 30.2 
			 1998 137 24.2 
			 1999 162 28.9 
			 2000 154 27.9 
			 2001 143 25.4 
			 2002 192 34.1 
			 2003 177 31.3 
			 2004 203 35.4 
			 2005 167 29.0 
		
	
	The baseline year for the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is 1998. Since then, the under-18 conception rate in Barnet has risen by 19.9 per cent. This is at odds with the trend in England as a wholewhere the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.4 per cent.and in contrast to areas that have similar population characteristics to Barnet, which have achieved impressive reductions. For example, the under-18 conception rate in Merton has fallen by 33 per cent.
	To tackle the wide variation in progress across England, we have issued guidance to local authorities and primary care trusts on the key ingredients of successful local strategiesbased on evidence of what works from the local areas which have made most progress. This evidence identified that successful strategies need to have in place
	Active engagement of all of the key mainstream delivery partners who have a role in reducing teenage pregnanciesHealth, Education, Social Services and Youth Support Servicesand the voluntary sector;
	A strong senior champion who is accountable for and has taken the lead in driving forward the local strategy;
	The availability of a well publicised young people-centred contraceptive and sexual health advice service, with a strong remit to undertake health promotion work, as well as delivering reactive services;
	A high priority given to PSHE in schools, with support from the local authority to develop comprehensive programmes of sex and relationships education (SRE) in all schools;
	A strong focus on targeted interventions with young people at greatest risk of teenage pregnancy, in particular with Looked After Children;
	The availability (and consistent take-up) of SRE training for professionals in partner organisations (such as Connexions Personal Advisers, Youth Workers and Social Workers) working with the most vulnerable young people; and
	A well resourced Youth Service, providing thing to do and places to go for young people, with a clear focus on addressing key social issues affecting young people, such as sexual health and substance misuse.
	I am asking areas like Barnetwhere rates are increasing or progress is slowto use this guidance to review and update their local strategies. This work is being supported by Government Offices which are providing appropriate support and challenge to each the local area. As part of that approach, we are encouraging all areas that are significantly behind trajectory to consider including teenage pregnancy as a priority in the Local Area Agreements that they are currently negotiating with Government Offices. The aim is to accelerate progress in all areas to the levels of the best. If all areas had performed as well as the top quartile, the national reduction would be 2 per cent. more than twice the reduction actually achieved.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Aerials: Health Hazards

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent assessment is of the health implications of siting mobile telephone masts in the vicinity of schools; on what information she bases that assessment; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government's planning policy on the siting of mobile telephone masts is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8: Telecommunications (PPG 8).
	The advice in PPG 8 is based on the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) which was published in 2000. Under the chairmanship of Sir William Stewart, the group considered concerns about health effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters. The group did not recommend that base stations be prohibited on or near school grounds.
	In the Government's view if a proposed mobile phone base station meets the exposure guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), it is not necessary to consider further the health aspects of the development.
	However, Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 on Telecommunications makes clear that, when it is proposed to install, alter or replace a mobile base station near a school or college, operators should consult the school or college concerned before submitting an application for planning permission or prior approval to the local authority. The local planning authority should also consult the relevant bodies, and should take into account any relevant views expressed.
	The network operators have agreed to provide schools, on request, with information on the level of intensity of radiofrequency radiation from a base station on or near their premises. In an ongoing audit, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) has now measured exposures around more than 500 base stations to date (www.ofcom.org.uk). In all cases exposures have been below, and mostly thousands of times below, the ICNIRP guidelines.
	In January 2004 the National Radiological Protection Board's (now the Health Protection Agency) Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) carried out a detailed scientific review which was published in a report Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields. AGNIR examined more recent experimental and epidemiological evidence for health effects due to exposure to radiofrequency (RF) transmissions, including those associated with mobile telephone handsets and base stations. It also concluded
	Exposure levels from living near to mobile base stations are extremely low and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health.

Building Regulations: Carbon Emissions

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had with colleagues in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on the  (a) next set of building regulations and  (b) long- term impact of moving towards a lower carbon grid;
	(2)  how the move towards a lower carbon grid through deployment of new nuclear, renewables and carbon capture and storage will be reflected in the setting of future building regulations;
	(3)  when the 2016 Taskforce plans to discuss the relationship between housing and energy policy with respect to heating from low carbon electricity as proposed in the 2007 Energy White Paper; and which heating industry representatives the Taskforce plans to invite to attend the meeting.

Iain Wright: Ministers and officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government have held regular discussions with colleagues from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on a range of strategic energy issues, including the future changes to the Building Regulations and the impact of moving towards a lower carbon grid.
	The 2016 Taskforce, whose members already include the Construction Products Association which in turn represent the heating industry, discuss high level strategic issues related to the zero carbon standard, including around energy supply. When appropriate, relevant sectors will be invited to attend the Taskforce meetings to participate in discussions.
	Building Regulations already take into account the carbon content of the grid. This is kept under regular review that will be continued as we move towards setting the zero carbon standard in Building Regulations from 2016.
	The Building a Greener Future: policy statement document published on 23 July 2007 committed us to developing the definition of zero carbon for the purposes of Building Regulations. This will involve a full consultation within a sensible time frame to allow the industry to adjust before the planned changes in 2016.

Census

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on progress toward a national address register.

Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 548W.

East of England Regional Assembly: Costs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) capital and  (b) revenue costs were of the East of England Regional Assembly in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			   
			  Year ending 31 March:  (a) Cap ital cost  (b) Revenue cost 
			 2005 31,935 4,387,811 
			 2006 8,217 4,376,394 
			 2007 30,484 4,350,654

Fire Services

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the proposed regional emergency control rooms for the fire service.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The FiReControl project has made substantial progress, summarised as follows.
	Nine new designed-for-purpose buildings have been procured. Contracts to build the RCC buildings were let in 2006 and 2007, and construction is progressing to plan. Four buildings have already reached practical completion. A single contract to deliver facilities management services to all nine buildings will be let by CLG in April 2008;
	Procuring new technology: CLG let a contract in March 2007 to EADS Defence and Security Systems Ltd (EADS) to deliver common, networked, IT systems for the nine regional control centres;
	FiReControl depends on a significant change management programme. Key developments include the establishment of six of the eight regional delivery companies with regional control centre directors and other senior staff appointed in five of them. Guidance has been developed with the fire and rescue services on organisation design, generic staffing model and terms and conditions of employment. These are currently being finalised and implemented by the Fire and Rescue Services in light of local circumstances. Design work to harmonise ways of working, operational procedures, processes and protocols to achieve interoperability between the 46 Fire and Rescue Service and the nine regional control centres has been completed. The alignment of these designs with the EADS solution prior to detailed planning and implementation by each of the Fire and Rescue Services is under way.

Fire Services: Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated budgets for the regional emergency control centres for the fire service are; what the original estimated budgets were; and how much was allocated to UK fire services in total for 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The current estimated cost of implementing FiReControl in England is approximately 360 million (in 2007-08 prices). The original estimated cost (at 2004-05 prices) was 264 million in England. We currently expect to fund 19 million in 2007-08 of transitional costs in implementing FiReControl in England. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies have responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Green Belt: Planning

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition of green space is for  (a) mapping and  (b) planning purposes.

Iain Wright: At present, there is no formal definition of green space used by Communities and Local Government for either mapping or planning purposes. Although open space is defined in the Town and Country Planning Act as land laid out as a public garden, or used for the purposes of public recreation, or land which is a disused burial ground, this narrow definition is not considered appropriate for dealing with the complete range of open spaces, including green spaces, that exist and the variety of functions they can fulfil.
	The Government's planning policies on open space are set out in planning policy guidance note 17 (PPG17) Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation (2002). PPG17 makes clear that these policies should be applied to all types of open space that have public value. An illustrative typology of open spaces which may be of public value, which includes a variety of different types of green space, is included in the annexe to PPG17. The Department will shortly be developing a green space database web resource that will provide information on green space as maps.

Heating: Standards

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2047W, on heating: standards, when she expects to publish the Building Regulations review on the safety of hot water systems in homes.

Iain Wright: We expect to launch a full public consultation on the draft amendments to part G of the building regulations and the revised supporting guidance in spring 2008 with a view to fully implementing the new requirements in April 2009.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1526W, on home information packs, if she will place in the Library copies of those pages of the Lenders' Handbook which list the mortgage lenders' policies on the acceptance of personal searches.

Iain Wright: The Council of Mortgage Lenders' Handbook is not a published document, but is available at www.cml.org.uk

Home Information Packs: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of home information packs commissioned on properties in the London borough of Bexley since such packs were introduced.

Caroline Flint: No such estimate has been made.

Homelessness: Ex-servicemen

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless households have been accepted as being in priority need under the category of A person who is vulnerable as a result of having been a member of Her Majesty's regular naval, military or air forces in each year since its introduction in the Homelessness (Priority Need for Accommodation) (England) Order 2002.

Iain Wright: Information about local authorities' action under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level and includes the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty. The duty owed to an accepted household is to secure suitable accommodation.
	The yearly total number of households accepted as being eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, as well as those having a priority need that is primarily due to their being vulnerable as a result of having served in HM forces, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Year  Total acceptances  O f which :  primary priority need ex-HM forces 
			 2003/04 135,430 104 
			 2004/05 120,860 95 
			 2005/06 93,980 73 
			 2006/07 73,360 53 
		
	
	It is important to note that some former HM forces personnel accepted as homeless may be included in other primary priority need categories (e.g. when the household includes dependent children), and so will not feature in the figures above. Tables showing acceptances broken down by the main priority need categories are published quarterly in the Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, and are placed in the House Library.

Housing Statistics 2007

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish the Housing Statistics for 2007.

Iain Wright: Housing Statistics 2007 is due to be published on 7 February 2008.

Housing: Construction

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses with  (a) one bedroom,  (b) two bedrooms,  (c) three bedrooms,  (d) four bedrooms and  (e) five bedrooms or more have been built in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: The proportions of new build completions in England by number of bedrooms and dwelling type are in the following table. The information is presented as proportions rather than absolute numbers because number of bedrooms and dwelling type is collected centrally for only about half the new build activity.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Houses   
			 1 bedroom 1 1 1 1 (1) 1 (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 2 bedrooms 19 18 17 15 11 10 9 8 8 8 
			 3 bedrooms 37 35 34 32 28 29 28 27 26 25 
			 4 or more 28 30 31 32 37 34 30 23 20 20 
			
			 Flats   
			 1 bedroom 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 10 10 11 
			 2 bedrooms 7 9 10 12 15 19 24 30 35 35 
			 3 bedrooms 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 4 or more (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			
			  Houses and flats   
			 1 bedroom 7 7 7 7 7 6 8 10 10 11 
			 2 bedrooms 27 27 26 27 25 29 33 38 42 42 
			 3 bedrooms 38 36 35 34 31 30 29 28 27 27 
			 4 or more 28 30 32 32 37 34 30 23 21 20 
			 All 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			
			 Total completions 149,555 140,708 142,046 133,255 129,866 137,739 143,958 155,893 163,398 167,577 
			 (1) zero or less than 0.5 per cent.  Source:  National House Building Council and P2 house building return from local authorities. 
		
	
	.

Housing: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government received in capital receipts from housing-related asset sales  (a) in total and  (b) from right-to-buy sales from each London borough in 2005-06.

Iain Wright: The following table indicates the amount that each London borough, through the process of poolingthe mechanism by which all local authority housing capital receipts are recycled for investmentpaid to the Secretary of State out of its receipts arising from the sales in 2005-06 of its housing land. It is currently not possible for the equivalent information to be provided separately for the authorities' Right to Buy (RTB) receipts, other than at disproportionate cost, although the vast majority of pooled receipts are RTB receipts.
	
		
			  Authority  Amount of 2005-06 receipts pooled () 
			 Barking and Dagenham 7,279,477.82 
			 Barnet 2,219,658.71 
			 Bexley 59,494.34 
			 Brent 5,429,513.25 
			 Bromley 44,921.64 
			 Camden 14,568,265.25 
			 Croydon (1)3,401,304.20 
			 Ealing 3,803,426.54 
			 Enfield 5,006,055.76 
			 Greenwich 9,424,531.40 
			 Hackney (1)15,287,746.48 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10,851,088.14 
			 Haringey 17,468,536.16 
			 Harrow 3,461,781.46 
			 Havering 5,101,710.10 
			 Hillingdon 6,976,263.95 
			 Hounslow 3,720,159.93 
			 Islington 23,772,005.71 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,167,877.18 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,638,774.07 
			 Lambeth (1)21,998,515.45 
			 Lewisham 21,590,177.83 
			 London (City of) (1)150,334.97 
			 Merton 4,189,867.41 
			 Newham 16,047,318.73 
			 Redbridge 4,552,107.00 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 69,836.77 
			 Southwark (1)54,586,305.06 
			 Sutton 1,083,309.30 
			 Tower Hamlets 32,138,314.54 
			 Waltham Forest 4,436,539.31 
			 Wandsworth 10,218,059.94 
			 Westminster 6,191,108.32 
			 Total (1)318,934,386.72 
			 (1) The figures for these five authorities are provisional, so the total figure is provisional as well.

Housing: Low Incomes

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social landlords have not signed up to the Respect Standard for Housing Management.

Iain Wright: Over 380 landlords have signed the Respect Standard covering around 70 per cent. of all social housing stock in England. Approximately 1,620 social landlords in England have not signed up to the Respect Standard which comprise mostly of small housing associations.

Housing: Low Incomes

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing association tenants there are in England; how many have the  (a) full and  (b) preserved right to buy; and how many are likely to qualify for the right to acquire scheme.

Iain Wright: There are 1.873 million housing association tenants in England. Approximately 28,000 (1.5 per cent.) are secure tenants of non-charitable housing associations who have  (a) the right to buy. Another 1 million tenants (53 per cent.), who transferred with their homes from local authorities since 1988, have retained  (b) a preserved right to buy.
	In addition, over 188,000 housing association tenants (10 per cent.) may qualify for the right to acquire because their homes have been built with public funds since 1 April 1997.
	Some of the tenants of the 871,241 homes which have transferred from local authorities to housing associations since 1 April 1997 may also qualify for the right to acquire scheme.

Housing: Low Incomes

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) Brian Pomery review of shared equity and  (b) evaluation of Social HomeBuy scheme research completed in December 2007.

Iain Wright: The Government appointed Brian Pomery to help them follow up the shared equity task force report and advise on ways to develop the private sector shared equity market. The work is ongoing.
	The evaluation report of the Social HomeBuy scheme is expected shortly and will be published in due course.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the planned yearly cost to the public purse is of the new  (a) Infrastructure Planning Commission and  (b) Homes and Communities Agency.

Iain Wright: The costs of the Homes and Communities Agency are set out in the Housing and Regeneration Bill impact assessment. This states that the one-off cost of setting up the Homes and Communities Agency will be 20 million over three years and the average annual cost of the Agency from 2009 will be approximately 17 million per annum. However, the average annual benefit to the public purse anticipated for the period 2007-08 to 2013-14 is 193.7 million per annum. This will be gained from more streamlined working, simpler delivery chains, a more strategic approach to operations, a single identity of a national housing and regeneration agency, harnessing scarce skills and increased negotiating skills for procurement.
	The costs of the Infrastructure Planning Commission are set out in the Planning Bill impact assessment. This states that the one-off cost of setting up the IPC will be 5 million. Our intention is that the administrative running costs of the IPC will be met through fees from applicants, and not from the public purse. The fact that the IPC will examine cases instead of Ministers will mean savings to central Government of 0.6 million per annum and to the Planning Inspectorate of 0.3 million per annum.

INTERREG Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department is playing in the implementation of the European Union's  (a) INTERREG IVA,  (b) INTERREG IVB and  (c) INTERREG IVC programmes; and what form of control system is being put in place to monitor the outcomes for each.

John Healey: My Department has been involved in the development of all three INTERREG programmes through leading the UK representation on working groups overseeing their preparation and agreeing the priorities.
	The draft IVA programmes were submitted to the European Commission in mid-November and should be implemented by May 2008.
	The IVB and IVC programmes have been approved. My Department's officials, with their regional colleagues, are representatives on the Monitoring and Steering Committees which decide the content and direction of the programmes as well as project selection.
	The Managing, Certifying and Audit Authorities for each of these programmes are responsible for ensuring that the management and control arrangements comply with European Commission regulations. None of these authorities are based in the UK.

Leadership Centre for Local Government: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was provided by the public purse to the Leadership Centre for Local Government in each year since its creation; and what the annual budget is for the next three years.

John Healey: The Leadership Centre for local government was set up in July 2004 following extensive discussion with the Local Government Association and other local government bodies to improve the quality of leadership in local government. The centre was paid 2 million in 2004-05, 4.465 million in 2005-06, 3.267 million in 2006-07 and 3.267 million in 2007-08.
	For the CSR07 spending round (2008-11), 2 million annually has been set aside to continue the work of the Leadership Centre.

Local Authorities: Data Protection

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been given to local authorities on the processing of personal data outside the European Economic Area, either directly or via contractors.

John Healey: It is the responsibility of local authorities to seek their own advice, including advice from the Information Commissioner and his website, regarding their legitimate processing of personal data. The Information Commissioner provides detailed guidance on the processing of personal data outside the European Economic Area, either directly or via contractors, in two pieces of guidance on his website: 'International Transfers of Personal Data'
	http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_ protection/practical_application/generic_guidance_ international_transfers_v2.pdf
	and 'The Eighth Data Protection Principle and international data transfers'
	http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_ protection/detailed_specialist_guides/international_ transfers_legal_guidance_v2.0_300606.pdf
	The Department does not directly provide guidance to local authorities on issues concerning the Data Protection Act 1998.

Local Authorities: Disclosure of Information

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 147W, on local authorities: disclosure of information, if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued to the regional assemblies in March 2006.

John Healey: I have arranged for copies of 'Guidance on the General Principles of Designation of Voluntary Regional Assemblies', issued in March 2006, to be placed in the Library of the House.

Local Government Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes to Government policy on local government finance will follow from the signing of the new Central-Local concordat.

John Healey: The concordat sets out the areas we will seek to develop with local government, and such work is under way. It reaffirms our commitment to deliver greater flexibility for local authorities to make decisions on their own funding priorities, and over the next three years we are moving around 5.6 billion into general grants which are not ring-fenced. We have undertaken to work with local government to provide greater clarity and transparency for local people on the levels of public funding going into local areas, and we have delivered the first three-year settlement for each council.

Local Government Finance: Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1152W, on local government finance: participation, 
	(1)  whether the local ballots would be binding on the local authority under her proposals; and whether there would be a threshold number of ballots above which a decision would be valid;
	(2)  who would take the decision on whether to ballot a local community on spending decisions under her proposals.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1152W.

Local Government: Devon

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish the terms of reference for the boundary committee review of local government structures in Devon; and when she expects the review to be completed.

John Healey: We intend shortly to issue our request to the boundary committee to advise, by a date specified in the request, on whether for Exeter city and the remaining Devon county area there could be an alternative unitary solution.

Local Government: Planning

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local government enforcement orders on planning issues have been successfully enforced since 1996.

Iain Wright: Statistical information on different types of enforcement action by local planning authorities is published in Development Control Statistics: England 2006/2007, available on the Department's website
	www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning statistics/developmentcontrolstatistics/.
	However, we do not hold centrally or publish information about the outcomes of such action. The Planning Inspectorate publish information about appeals against enforcement notices and their outcomes on their website.
	www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many councillors each of the restructured local authorities will have; and how many councillors in total across both tiers the council areas will have in each case.

John Healey: The number of councillors if restructuring is implemented, in the five areas for which draft Implementation Orders have been laid before Parliament, is as follows.
	
		
			  Local authority  Number of councillors 1 April 2009 
			 Cornwall county 82 
			 Durham county 126 
			 Northumberland county 67 
			 Shropshire county 48 
			 Wiltshire county 49 
			 Grand total 372 
		
	
	A new unitary council's number of councillors may change at the first election held after the Boundary Committee has undertaken a review of the council's electoral arrangements.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities undergoing restructuring will have elections for the new council in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; and in which year in each case parish council elections will take place.

John Healey: Under restructuring orders, which we have laid before the House, the first elections to the new unitary authorities will be in 2008, in the case of the unitary County Durham and Northumberland councils, and in 2009, in the case of the new unitary Cornwall, Shropshire and Wiltshire councils. In all five cases, subsequent elections will be in 2013.
	Parish elections in those areas will be held in future on the same cycle as elections for the new unitary councils. As a result some parishes will hold elections in 2009, but the majority will be moved from 2011 to 2013.

Local Government: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average number of  (a) national priority targets and  (b) local improvement targets that local area agreements will contain.

John Healey: No estimate has been made of the average number of  (a) national priority targets and  (b) local improvement targets in local area agreements (LAAs). Section 106 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 provides all targets in an LAA are local improvement targets. Up to 35 local improvement targets will be designated by the Secretary of State following negotiation between a local area and the relevant Government Office.

Local Government: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will be set local improvement targets via the new  (a) local area agreements and  (b) multi-area agreements.

John Healey: Upper-tier and unitary local authorities will be required to determine local improvement targets when directed by the Secretary of State to prepare a local area agreement (LAA) under section 106 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. Once they have been determined in a draft LAA, the LAA will be submitted to the Secretary of State for her approval in accordance with section 107 of that Act. It is expected that all such authorities will therefore set local improvement targets in LAAs.
	Unlike LAAs, multi-area agreements do not have a statutory basis. Any outcomes in an MAA are not local improvement targets, unless they are drawn from the relevant LAAs.

Maps: Green Belt

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 552W, on maps: green belt, what the timetable is for incorporating the green belt digital data from local authorities into the Maps on Tap database.

Iain Wright: We expect to complete the collection of Green Belt digital (boundary) data from local authorities in April and will incorporate this into departmental databases shortly after.

Mortgages: First Time Buyers

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of first-time buyers in England took out mortgages of 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Data on first time buyers (FTBs) using a mortgage are available from the regulated mortgage survey which is supplied to the Department by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. As the survey is a sample, data on the number of FTBs for England are unavailable; however, we can derive proportions.
	For 2006, based on figures from the regulated mortgage survey, the Department estimates that 8.3 per cent. of mortgages to first-time buyers (excluding sitting tenants) in England were for 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to co-ordinate best practice in the implementation of the national licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Iain Wright: The Department has funded Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) to support local housing authorities in England and Wales in implementing mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). LACORS issues guidance and advice, and co-ordinates and disseminates best practice in relation to regulation of private-sector housing.

Parish Councils: Cost-Effectiveness

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to abolish grants for best-value compliance to parish councils.

John Healey: Section 136 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 removes parish councils from the duty of best value. Paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to the 2007 Act removes the Secretary of State's power to make grants to parish councils in respect of their costs of complying with best value. We intend to commence both provisions with effect from 1 April 2008.

Parking: Planning

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will  (a) direct or  (b) encourage local planning authorities to revise local plan policies on parking standards in the light of the changes in planning policy statement 3 and the repeal of Planning Policy Guidance 3.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement 3 Housing (PPS3) does not prescribe car parking standards for new residential development. Rather, it introduces a more flexible approach to the local provision of car parking by giving local planning authorities the ability to set their own residential parking policies, taking account of expected levels of car ownership, the importance of promoting good design and the need to use land efficiently.
	The policies in PPS3, including that relating to car parking provision for new residential development, should be taken into account by local planning authorities in the preparation of their local development frameworks. They should also be regarded as material considerations in the determining of planning applications for new housing development which may supersede the policies in existing development plans.

Planning

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations the Sustainable Development Commission has made to her Department on  (a) the Planning Bill and  (b) the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

John Healey: The Sustainable Development Commission responded to consultation on the Planning White Paper in August last year.
	My Department maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Sustainable Development Commission in its role as Government's independent adviser on sustainable development.

Planning

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the proposed national policy statements will over-ride provisions on existing planning policy  (a) guidance note/planning policy  (b) statement.

Iain Wright: National policy statements will provide the national policy framework for development consents for nationally significant infrastructure projects. They will incorporate relevant elements of town and country planning policy and other relevant Government policies.
	Some national policy statements will also be relevant to smaller infrastructure projects which require town and country planning permission. National policy statements will feed through into regional spatial strategies and local development plans in relation to those categories of infrastructure, alongside other aspects of planning policy.

Planning: Public Participation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 148-49W, on planning: public participation, if she will place in the Library a copy of each substantive response to the Planning White Paper, excluding campaign write-in submissions.

Iain Wright: Copies of the substantive responses listed in Planning White Paper Consultation: Government response to consultation replies have not been placed in the Library because of the volume we received. They are available for inspection at the Department.

Planning: Retail Trade

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 149W, on planning: retail trade, what representations she has received from supermarkets on the revision of Planning Policy Statement 6 since May 2007.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 149W, which set out the written representations the Secretary of State (or her officials) has had from supermarkets up to 15 June 2007.
	Since then, the Secretary of State (or her officials) has received written representations from the following supermarkets in relation to the proposed revisions to Planning Policy Statement 6, as announced in the Planning White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future which was published in May 2007:
	Asda*
	John Lewis Partnership/Waitrose*
	Lidl
	Marks and Spencer
	Musgrave GB
	Tesco
	Supermarkets which have asked that their representations remain confidential are indicated by '*'. Copies of other representations have been placed in the Library of the House.

Public Libraries: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Public Library Service Standards will be included in the new national indicator set.

John Healey: The National Indicator Set was announced on 11 October 2007 and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Regeneration: Greater Manchester

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt), of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 554-5W, on regeneration: Greater Manchester, what the terms of reference are for the review of regeneration alternatives to the regional casino in Manchester; and whether the review will consider  (a) the option of eight small and eight large casinos and  (b) the effect of the increase in the number of casinos authorised under the Gaming Act 1968 prior to the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005.

John Healey: In July, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said that the Government would look at whether deprived areas could be equally well served by forms of regeneration other than the development of regional casinos.
	While Manchester will clearly have an interest in the findings of the review, the response is not specific to alternatives to a regional casino in Manchester; it applies to deprived areas more broadly.
	The Review did not look at the case of the small or large casinos or consider the Gambling Act more generally. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is currently considering next steps on casino policy under the Gambling Act 2005, and will make an announcement to Parliament in due course.

Regeneration: Greater Manchester

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 554-5W, on regeneration: Greater Manchester, and to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1131W, on casinos, whether the review of regeneration alternatives to regional casinos has received evidence from representatives of  (a) Anschutz Entertainment Group,  (b) its associated companies and  (c) business partners.

John Healey: In July the Prime Minister said that the Government would consider the question of whether deprived areas could be equally well served by forms of regeneration other than the development of regional casinos. While Manchester will clearly have an interest in the findings of the review, the response is not specific to alternatives to a regional casino in Manchester; it applies to deprived areas more broadly.
	There is no record that the Review received any evidence from Anschutz Entertainment Group or from any party known to me to be its associated company or business partner. When the Review is published it will list the evidence sources that have been referenced.

Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1157-8W, on regional planning and development, whether a Secretary of State's decision to require the draft Local Area Agreement to be amended may be imposed on local councils against their advice.

John Healey: Section 107(1) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 allows the Secretary of State to require the amendment of a draft Local Area Agreement, but does not specify the considerations that might affect such a decision.
	The Government Office will be expected to resolve any difficulties earlier in the negotiation, reducing the likelihood that the draft LAA will need to be redrafted. This is emphasised in sections 4.17 to 4.18 of the draft statutory guidance: Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities, available on the CLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/statutoryguidance

Sheltered Housing: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from the housing department of Birmingham city council on the impact of national rules governing the Supporting People programme on local decision-making in respect of sheltered accommodation schemes.

Iain Wright: There is no record of any representation having been made to Communities and Local Government from the Housing Department of Birmingham city council about the impact of national rules governing the Supporting People programme on local decision-making in respect of sheltered accommodation schemes.

Sheltered Housing: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what funding was made available to local authorities for sheltered accommodation with a residential warden in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the Government's policy is on  (a) the removal of residential wardens and  (b) replacement of residential wardens by mobile wardens in relation to sheltered accommodation.

Iain Wright: Local authorities provide funding for housing-related support services such as those included in sheltered housing accommodation through the Supporting People programme grants allocated to them by the Government. Supporting People is a grant programme administered through top-tier authorities which enables over 1 million vulnerable people each year to live independently in their homes and communities.
	However, decisions about how support services for sheltered housing are provided and how the allocated grant funding is used are made by each local authority, in accordance with their local needs and priorities and as identified in their Supporting People five-year strategies.
	The Supporting People funding allocated to local authorities relates to the total Supporting People grant covering all types of housing by related support, not just sheltered housing with a residential warden. Therefore, figures are not collected which would show funding for sheltered accommodation with a residential warden in each of the last five years.
	As mentioned decisions on how much of the total allocation is spent on sheltered housing with a residential warden or any other kind of support services are for local authorities to make.
	As part of its national affordable housing programme, the Housing Corporation has funded through social housing grant accommodation designated or designed for older people, but, as with Supporting People grant, does not specify how support services should be delivered within specially designated or designed housing for older people, and is therefore unable to identify how many of these will have a residential warden.

Supporting People Programme

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been given to local authorities on the extent of the financial assessment which should be undertaken when considering whether individuals receiving long-term support under the Supporting People programme are eligible to pay charges; and whether individuals' debts and monthly outgoings should be taken into account.

Iain Wright: holding answer 25 January 2008
	 The Department has issued guidance (Supporting People (England) Directions 2007/08) which states that each administrating authority is required to set out in its Supporting People strategy the rules for charging of service recipients, which must include:
	(i) the circumstances in which there is to be relief from charges;
	(ii) the process for making an application for relief
	(iii) the rules for determining the relevant date of application; and
	(iv) details of the review mechanism which is to apply where a service recipient disputes any decision under the charging rules.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many court cases there have been since April 2007, where private tenants have been seeking to enforce their right to have their tenancy deposit protected under the provisions in the Housing Act 2004.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Unitary Councils

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on the minimum size of a new unitary council, in terms of  (a) resident population and  (b) number of households, under her plans for local government restructuring.

John Healey: The criteria against which we judge unitary proposals do not involve any criterion about the size of a council's population or the number of households in its area.

Unitary Councils: Elections

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the dates will be for the next set of elections for each of the new unitary councils.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) today (PQ182081).

Vacant Land

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much land was designated as green space in new housing development plans  (a) between 1996 and 2006,  (b) between 1986 and 1996 and  (c) in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Information on how much land has been planted as green space is not held centrally.

Wardens

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 685W, on wardens, what central funding has been provided to fund neighbourhood warden schemes, further to the pledge in the Respect Action Plan.

John Healey: For 2006-07 and 2007-08 92.9 million of the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund was paid through the local area agreement (LAA) grant. Under LAAs local authorities and their partners have flexibility to decide how they spend their funds to deliver agreed LAA outcomes.
	From 2008-09 onwards 67.1 million of the Safer Stronger Communities Fund will be paid as a contribution to the new area-based grant, a non ring-fenced general grant for local authorities. This will provide local authorities with even greater flexibility over how they spend their funding. The fund has been allocated to authorities in recognition of their need to improve public satisfaction with local areas which could include promoting warden schemes. However, it will be up to individual authorities to decide how they spend their area-based grant allocations.

Working Neighbourhoods Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities in receipt of working neighbourhood funding previously did not receive neighbourhood renewal funding.

John Healey: There are five local authorities which previously did not qualify for neighbourhood renewal funding but which have qualified for allocations under the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF). These are as follows:
	Blyth Valley;
	Chesterfield;
	Copeland;
	Thanet; and
	West Somerset.

HEALTH

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust: Crimes of Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of assault there were against members of staff from the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust in 2007; and what the prosecution rates were in these cases.

Ann Keen: Data on reported physical assaults are collected each year for the period 1 April to 31 March.
	The number of reported physical assaults against staff at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS trust for the period 2006-07 was 137.
	Information on prosecution rates in these cases is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Abortion: Freedom of Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 984W, on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill of Session 1979-80, for what reasons two files were destroyed; what the  (a) prefix and  (b) title of these files was; what criteria are used by his Department on reviewing files; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: File E/A0223/251/vBDraft and Notes and clausesAbortion Amendment Bill was destroyed in 2005. File E/A0223/191Abortion Act 1967 John Corrie's Abortion Amendment Bill was destroyed in 2004. Both files were destroyed following a second review of the contents, 25 years after the files were started.
	The criteria used in respect of these files were set out in the Manual of Records Administration published by the then Public Record Office.

Ambulance Services: Devon

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to improve emergency ambulance services in North Devon.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for strategic health authorities (SHAs), as the local headquarters of the national health service, and primary care trusts, as commissioners, to ensure that strategies for improving performance are delivered by ambulance trusts.
	The Department, via the Recovery and Support Unit discusses performance at trust level with SHAs to ensure that SHAs work with local organisations to address performance issues, and if appropriate with support from the National Ambulance Performance Implementation Lead. However, performance is measured across the trust as a whole.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national targets exist for the handover times from ambulances to accident and emergency departments.

Ben Bradshaw: Departmental guidance makes clear that in normal operational circumstances handovers should take no longer than 15 minutes. This is guidance, not a target or a standard. While the Department recognises there may be periods when operational pressures mean this is not always possible, trusts should ensure their escalation plans include robust action to manage their handovers.

Anaesthetics: Training

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many anaesthetic training posts in categories  (a) ST1,  (b) ST2,  (c) ST3 and  (d) SPR will be vacant on the first Wednesday of February 2008 in (i) England, (ii) London and (iii) Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Ann Keen: This information is not collated centrally.
	Postgraduate deaneries are now recruiting doctors to take up specialty training programmes from August 2008. Information regarding the numbers of posts being appointed to can be found on the Modernising Medical Careers website at
	www.mmc.nhs.uk.

Bournemouth and Christchurch Primary Care Trust: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 986W, on Bournemouth and Christchurch primary care trust: finance to my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East, for which other trusts specialist top-up payments have been discontinued in 2008-09; and how much each trust received in such payments in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: Specialist top-ups are payable across nine areas of treatment. In 2007-08, all hospitals were eligible for specialist top-ups when they had provided these services. In 2008-09, all providers are still eligible for specialist top-ups for non-specialised child-related, colorectal and orthopaedic activity. The list of providers eligible for all other specialist top-ups was published within the national tariff on 13 December 2007. Copies of the list have been placed in the Library.
	In addition, strategic health authorities have the flexibility to agree the payment of specialist top-ups to a wider range of providers than those on the list, when a commissioner can make a compelling case for inclusion.
	Data are not collected centrally on how much each trust received in specialist top-ups.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 988-89W, on breast cancer screening, which primary care trust has responsibility for each breast cancer unit.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on how breast cancer units correspond to primary care trusts.

Cancer: Health Education

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the use and development by the NHS of the tool initiated by Cancer Research UK to assess the level of patient awareness of cancer symptoms will cost the public purse.

Ann Keen: Cancer Research UK is funding the development of the modular tool to assess levels of awareness of cancer risk factors and symptoms. The tool is expected to be available in the autumn 2008.

Cancer: Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 997-98W, on cancer: health services, if he will break down the missed diagnoses of cancer incidents by reason, including delay, failure to diagnose and problems with tests or scans.

Ann Keen: The breakdown of reports of patient safety incidents on the National Reporting and Learning System of England and Wales is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Incident categorylevel 1  Incident categorylevel 2  October 2005 to  September 2006  October 2006 to  September 2007 
			 Clinical assessment (including diagnosis, scans, tests, assessments) Diagnosisdelay/failure to 130 169 
			  Diagnosiswrong 45 37 
			  Scans/X-rays/specimensinadequate/incomplete 33 51 
			  Scans/X-rays/specimensmislabelled/unlabelled 60 84 
			  Scans/X-rays/specimensmissing 38 34 
			  Testsfailure/delay to undertake 53 69 
			 
			 Documentation (including records, identification) Scans/X-rays/specimensmislabelled/unlabelled 20 13 
			  Scans/X-rays/specimensmissing 6 3 
			 
			 Implementation of care and ongoing monitoring/review Delay/failure in recognising complication of treatment 13 9 
			  Testsfailure/delay to undertake 20 10 
			 
			 Infection control incident Diagnosisdelay/failure to 1 2 
			  Diagnosiswrong 0 1 
			 
			 Treatment, procedure Delay/failure in recognising complication of treatment 14 20 
			 Total  433 502

Cancer: Health Services

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public funding has been made available for extending the 31-day standard target to all cancer patients; and what the expected total cost is of such an extension.

Ann Keen: An impact assessment was published at the same time as the new Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS) on 3 December 2007. A copy of the CRS Impact Assessment is available at
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_081004
	and is also available in the Library.
	A breakdown of estimated additional costs associated with the extension of the 31-day standard is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Cost of 31-day standard for all cancer treatments 
			  Financial year  Estimate for annual costs ( million) 
			 2008-09 2.1 
			 2009-10 4.3 
			 2010-11 6.4 
			 2011-12 6.4 
			 2012-13 6.4 
			 2013-14 6.4 
			 2014-15 6.4 
			 2015-16 6.4 
			 2016-17 6.4 
			 2017-18 6.4 
		
	
	Funding for the extension of the 31-day standard is not separately identified in allocations to the national health service. Primary care trusts are funded to meet the health care needs of their populations, which will include the provision of cancer services.

Carbon Monoxide

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to raise awareness of medical practitioners of the risks to health of carbon monoxide and the symptoms, diagnosis and consequences of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is committed to helping to prevent deaths and injuries caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and raise awareness of the dangers of CO poisoning among the public and medical profession. A range of specific actions to achieve this have been and continue to be taken, many of which are specific to medical practitioners.
	In his winter update issued in November 2007, which is sent to all doctors registered with the General Medical Council in England, the chief medical officer (CMO), Liam Donaldson, provides a range of advice on diagnosis of CO poisoning, including the use of neurological examination.
	This builds on two previous publications, the advice of which is still current: the CMO winter 2005 update and the CMO and chief nursing officer (CNO) joint letter issued in 2002. The CMO's update includes recognition of the symptoms of CO poisoning, key questions to ask in diagnosis, appropriate tests and treatment. The CMO/CNO letter, distributed to community nurses, midwives, health visitors and general practitioners, provides detailed advice on recognising the symptoms of CO poisoning and specific advice about investigations and testing techniques.
	In addition, the Department has recently called for research to investigate the incidence of CO poisoning, health outcomes and patients' experience following exposure, which will help inform the development of appropriate policy.
	The Department also provides funding for leading national voluntary organisations through the Section 64 General Scheme of Grants, which helps in their work in raising awareness about the dangers of CO with both the public and health professionals and in supporting victims and providing information on how to prevent poisoning.
	In collaboration with key stakeholders, the Department is currently looking at options for new awareness-raising initiatives as well as reviewing activities in which it is already engaged.

Community Nurses

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1003W, on community nurses, how many more community matrons the local intelligence suggests there are; and what revised estimate he has made of total numbers.

Ann Keen: Strategic health authorities have suggested that the actual figure for community matrons may be higher than the official figure shown in the national health service work force census. The latest official figure still stands at 366 (351 full-time equivalent) as shown in the 2006 NHS work force census. The 2007 census is due to be published in mid-March 2008, and will provide a more up to date figure.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 5.5 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, what the value of resources released for frontline activity as a result of the streamlining of NHS leadership was, broken down by strategic health authority.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is provided in the following table. This gives a total figure in 2006-07 by strategic health authority (SHA) economy for each SHA and its primary care trusts.
	
		
			  2006-07 Commissioning a patient led national health service savings 
			   000 
			 North East SHA 357 
			 North West SHA 18,223 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 17,211 
			 East Midlands SHA 6,034 
			 West Midlands SHA 14,006 
			 East of England SHA 2,201 
			 London SHA 15,237 
			 South East Coast SHA 7278 
			 South Central SHA 2020 
			 South West SHA 5180 
			 Total 87,747 
			  Source:  Department of Health financial returns

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 6.4 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, if he will break down his Department's 128 million revenue underspend on central programmes by programme; and what the reasons were for the underspend on each programme.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table gives a breakdown of the Department's 128 million revenue underspend as stated in paragraph 6.4 of the 2006-07 Resource Accounts.
	
		
			  Budget   million   million  Reasons for under/(over)spend 
			 Demand Led
			 European Economic Area (health costs of United Kingdom citizens abroad) 53   
			 Welfare Foods 8   
			 Family Health Services Dentistry 4   
			 Pharmacy -23   
			 Total Demand Led budgets  42 Demand led budgetsdifficult to accurately predict volume of activity/cost 
			 Technical/Provisions
			 2005-06 Accounting Adjustments 20  As part of the year end review of balance sheet codes a number of adjustments were made. These included the reduction to zero of some creditors no longer required in respect of Deposits and Advances, 3.6 million, and health authority impairments 10.9 million. In addition following a review of Partnership for Health published accounts a credit of 5.750 million was made to expenditure in respect of an investment in Partnerships for Health charged incorrectly to operating expenditure in 2005-06. 
			 Skipton Fund (Hepatitis C compensation claims) 14  Level of provisions dependent upon expected level of claims, which was lower than forecast. 
			 Ex-Regional Health Authority Retirements 11  Review of methodology and assumptions for calculating provisions resulted in an underspend against budget. 
			 National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group 7  Review of accounting methodology to bring treatment in line with National Health Service resulted in an underspend against budget. 
			 English National Board provisions 4  Review of methodology and assumptions for calculating provisions resulted in an underspend against budget. 
			 Injury Benefits -69  Review of methodology and assumptions for calculating provisions resulted in an overspend against budget. 
			   -13  
			 Other Underspends
			 Arms Length Bodies 63  Underspend due to, in the main, revision of NHS Blood and Transplant corporate strategy, and lower than expected 
			requirements for transition costs funding. 
			 Payment by Results 6   
			 Personal Social Services (PSS) Regulation 5  2.5 million due to delays in expansion of domiciliary workers and 2.5 million on various other social care budgets. 
			 Healthy Choices 5  Replanning of website development activity. 
			 Communications 4  Value for money achieved through cheaper advertising. 
			 Individual Budget Pilots 2  Replanning of new PSS Grant in year. 
			 Other underspends 14  Several small variances on many small budgets including 1.5 million arising from exchange rate movements on World Health Organisation budget, 1 million on PSS Grants budgets (dependent upon receipt of valid invoices). 
			   99  
			 
			 Total Central Programme Underspend  128

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the policy of British jobs for British workers will affect his Department's recruitment policy for junior doctors.

Ann Keen: The choice facing us and the medical profession is whether we accept international medical graduates displacing large numbers of United Kingdom graduates, preventing them from obtaining postgraduate training, or whether we maximise the opportunities for UK medical graduates and the taxpayers' investment in them.
	Our preference is to give priority to UK and European economic area medical graduates. We were disappointed with the Court of Appeal judgment which ruled that the Department's guidance which had this effect was unlawful.
	We have been given expedited leave to appeal to the House of Lords against the Appeal Court judgment. The House of Lords will hear our appeal on 28 February and we continue to examine ways to prioritise specialty training places for UK graduates.

Dermatology

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on trends in prevalence of skin disease and skin-related illnesses, excluding skin cancer.

Ann Keen: The Department has no specific information on trends in the prevalence of skin disease and skin-related illnesses.

Dermatology

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to quantify the annual productivity losses associated with members of the workforce suffering from skin-related illnesses in the latest year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The Department has made no assessment of the annual productivity losses associated with those members of the workforce living with skin-related illnesses.

Doctors: Career Structure

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to improve the Medical Training Application System in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Medical Training Application System (MTAS) was closed to applicants for specialist training posts in May 2007, although it remained accessible to deaneries after that time for monitoring and statistical purposes. This followed two security breaches to the system.
	Improvements were then made to the security, following which the Communications Electronic Security Group, the national technical authority for information assurance, confirmed that appropriate and sufficiently comprehensive action had been taken.
	A national information technology-based (IT) application system is used for applications to the foundation programme for junior doctors. It was used for recruitment in 2007 and is being used again this year.
	Decisions about whether a national IT-based system should be used for recruitment to specialty training for junior doctors will be the subject of extensive discussion with the medical profession and other key stakeholders.

Fractures

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of fracture liaison services in ensuring patient compliance with measures to prevent secondary fracture.

Ann Keen: The Department has made no assessment of the effectiveness of fracture liaison services in ensuring patient compliance with measures to prevent secondary fracture.

General Practitioners: Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to improve the GP to patient ratio in the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Havering PCT have both been identified as being among the 25 per cent. of PCTs with poorest provision, and will therefore receive additional investment from the 250 million access fund for new general practitioner (GP) practices and a GP-led health centre. These new services will increase capacity in the places that need it most and offer a range of innovative services such as extended opening hours and wider practice boundaries.
	Redbridge PCT is ranked 57th nationally, and therefore falls outside the 25 per cent. Like every PCT, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, and Havering will be procuring one new GP-led health centre each.

General Practitioners: Yorkshire and Humberside

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs were in practice in the Beverley and Holderness constituency in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The following table shows general medical practitioners (GMPs) (excluding retainers and registrars)(1) by specified area, as at 1997 to 2006.
	
		
			  GMPs (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1)  by specified area, as at 1997 to 2006 
			  Number (headcount) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 General practitioners (GPs)(1) 309 307 307 306 315 313 332 325 344 346 
			
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 168 171 186 179 190 190 
			 Hull PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 147 142 146 146 154 156 
			
			 East Riding and Hull HA 309 307 307 306 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = data not available (1) GMPs (excluding retainers and registrars) includes GP Providers and GP Others  Notes: 1. Data as at 1 October 1997-99, 30 September 2000-06. 2. Data presented for organisations in existence in the specified years. 3. Beverley and Holderness constituency is contained within East Riding of Yorkshire PCT and previously to this East Riding and Hull HA. 4. Hull PCT has been added for comparability purposes  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 
		
	
	Work force planning is a matter for local national health service organisations as they are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health communities. The NHS Plan target of 2,000 more GPs over the 1999 baseline was achieved in 2004. There are now more GPs in the NHS than ever before. This reflects the Government's record investment in primary care and commitment to expanding the GP work force.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  by what date his Department expects to have collected data from NHS trusts on their completion of the self-assessment checklist on privacy and dignity issued by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement in December 2007;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the full report of focus groups and interviews which is summarised on page 7 of Privacy and Dignitythe elimination of mixed sex accommodation, issued by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement in December 2007.

Ann Keen: Ensuring patients' dignity and privacy while they are in hospital is very important. The operating framework for 2008-09 confirms mixed-sex accommodation as a local priority. It requires primary care trusts to review performance with all trusts, and to agree, publish and implement stretched local plans to deliver improvements.
	The Government fully support the good practice guide produced by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. It provides practical information and examples of good practice to help trusts make best use of facilities in order to ensure patients are treated with the utmost privacy and dignity. The guidance is designed to be used internally within trusts and there are no plans to centrally collect or publish these data.
	The report of focus groups and interviews is currently being prepared for publication by Ipsos MORI. It will be available during February and will be placed in the Library at that point.

Hospital Wards: Mobile Phones

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has taken advice on the application of the Children Act 2004 and the Human Rights Act 1998 to the use of mobile telephones with cameras in hospital wards.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department issued revised good practice guidance to the national health service on the use of mobile telephones on health care premises in May 2007. The revised guidance offers a legal framework and an evidence base for trusts to use in compiling their own policy on the use of mobile phones on health care premises and makes specific reference to the provisions of the Children Act 2004 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
	The guidance entitled Using mobile phones in NHS hospitals is available in the Library and is also on the Department's website at
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_074396
	Guidance to the NHS on the use of mobile telephones on health care premises is kept under review.

Hospitals: Admissions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place on an  (a) national,  (b) regional and  (c) local scale to share information on available hospital beds in circumstances of significant emergencies.

Dawn Primarolo: As category 1 responders, national health service trusts have a duty to ensure an appropriate response to major incidents under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. The arrangements should enable a co-ordinated response regardless of the nature or scale of the incident.
	Every hospital has major incident plans to make beds available if requested in the event of an emergency. This is co-ordinated at a local or regional level via established command and control systems (gold, silver and bronze). In an exceptionally large emergency this will be co-ordinated nationally across larger geographic areas by the Department's major incident co-ordination centre, which acts as a focal point of liaison and co-ordination between NHS gold structures.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what average length of time hospital wards which have been deep cleaned have been out of use during deep cleaning.

Ann Keen: The details and timetable of each trust's deep clean plan will vary according to local need and the configuration of local services. In addition, not all deep cleaning requires the closure of wards, and trusts will have organised their programmes in order to minimise disruption to services and inconvenience to patients.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 38-39WS. Further information on the implementation of the deep clean of the NHS is available from strategic health authorities.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from which budget the 50 million for deep-cleaning hospitals has been allocated.

Ann Keen: Funding for deep-cleaning hospitals has been allocated from strategic health authority budgets. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 134-35WS.

Hospitals: Vetting

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on delays in making appointments for hospital jobs following changes made to the Criminal Records Bureau fast-track checking systems; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department is not aware of any representations being made on problems in making appointments for hospital jobs following changes made to the Criminal Records Bureau fast-track checking systems.

In-patient Management Programme

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs have been identified in the in-patient management programme for cancer services, as outlined in the impact assessment of the cancer reform strategy.

Ann Keen: holding answer 24 January 2008
	The Cancer Services Collaborative Improvement Partnership and the cancer action team are developing the in-patient management programme to encourage and support local implementation of the programme.
	The programme will initially focus on providing support and guidance on service improvement for different categories of patients, such as patients admitted electively for surgery or chemotherapy and patients admitted as an emergency who are subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
	For the first five years of the programme, the costs have been identified as follows:
	
		
			   Cost in ( million) 
			 2008-09 35.9 
			 2009-10 61.5 
			 2010-11 102.4 
			 2011-12 153.9 
			 2012-13 225.2 
		
	
	The bulk of these costs are for treatment provided outside in-patient settings as a result of avoiding or reducing lengths of stay, such as community rehabilitation/care and additional monitoring/treatment and ambulatory care, but they also include costs for programme management and monitoring.
	However, overall, the programme will result in both improved experiences for patients and significant cost reductions. For example, if a 25 per cent. reduction in non-surgical admissions for cancer were achieved across the country, estimates suggest this would result in a 340 million reduction in costs.

Junior Doctors: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many newly trained junior doctors were employed in  (a) Greater London,  (b) Essex and  (c) Queen's Hospital, Romford in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of doctors in the first year of employment, compared to the total number in training at all trusts within National Health Service London, the five NHS trusts in the Essex area, and at the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, of which Queen's Hospital Romford is a part, on 30 September 2006.
	
		
			All doctors in training  House officer and foundation programme year one( 1) 
			 Greater London London Strategic Health Authority(2) 10,633 815 
			 
			 Essex Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 154 30 
			  Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 184 28 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 200 30 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 162 27 
			  Southend Hospital NHS Trust 198 30 
			 
			 Queen's Hospital, Romford Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 419 47 
			 (1) The position of House Officer is currently being phased out and will soon be replaced entirely by foundation programme year one. (2) London Strategic Health Authority (SHA) does not map precisely over the county boundaries of Greater London.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 
		
	
	The number of doctors that the NHS requires to be recruited each year is a matter for determination by local NHS organisations, as they are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community.

Medical Profession

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of  (a) nurses,  (b) midwives and  (c) doctors were working in the NHS three years after they qualified in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect centrally information on how many nurses, midwives or doctors were working in the national health service three years after they qualified in each year since 1997.
	The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) destination of leavers survey asks United Kingdom and European Union-based graduates about their employment circumstances six months after graduation.
	The percentage of newly-qualified nurses and midwives (combined) and doctors between 2003 and 2006 inclusive who found employment in their chosen profession six months after graduation is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Employment circumstances of graduates six months after successfully completing a pre-registration course in nursing or midwifery, England 
			  Number (headcount) and percentage 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Academic year of graduation  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Number of survey respondents(1) 9,210  10,309  10,066  11,427  
			  O f which: 
			 Employed as a nurse or midwife 8,391 91.1 9,443 91.6 9,202 91.4 9,974 87.3 
			 Employed in other healthcare-related profession 102 1.1 122 1.2 131 1.3 225 2.0 
			 Employed elsewhere 151 1.6 141 1.4 127 1.3 260 2.3 
			 Unemployed 418 4.5 453 4.4 453 4.5 770 6.7 
			 Unknown 148 1.6 150 1.5 153 1.5 198 1.7 
			 (1) The survey response rates for nursing and midwifery graduates were as follows: 2002-03: 72 per cent., 2003-04: 74 per cent., 2004-05: 74 per cent., 2005-06: 76 per cent.  Note: HESA Destination of Leavers Survey asks UK- and EU-based graduates about their employment circumstances approximately six months after graduation.  Sources: HESA Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey The Information Centre for health and social care Student Database 
		
	
	
		
			  Employment circumstances of graduates six months after successfully completing a pre-registration course in medicine, England 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Academic year of graduation  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Number of survey respondents(1) 3,118  3,398  3,544  4,135  
			  of which: 
			 Employed as a doctor 2,855 91.6 3,152 92.8% 3,214 90.7 3,743 90.5 
			 Employed in other healthcare-related profession 3 0.1 5 0.1 7 0.2 12 0.3 
			 Employed elsewhere 12 0.4 13 0.4 17 0.5 15 0.4 
			 Unemployed 234 7.5 219 6.4 284 8.0 309 7.5 
			 Unknown 14 0.4 9 0.3 22 0.6 56 1.4 
			 (1) The survey response rates for graduates in medicine were as follows: 2002-03: 89 per cent., 2003-04: 91 per cent., 2004-05: 89 per cent., 2005-06: 93 per cent.  Note The HESA Destination of Leavers Survey asks UK- and EU-based graduates about their employment circumstances approximately six months after graduation.  Sources: HESA Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey The Information Centre for health and social care Student Database

Mental Health

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to extend  (a) mental illness and  (b) learning difficulties training programmes for GPs and community care staff.

Ann Keen: The educational and training curriculum of general practitioners (GPs) is set and managed by the Royal College of General Practitioners. The content of the GP training curriculum is agreed by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB). PMETB has recently approved a new curriculum for postgraduate general practice training.
	Post-registration training needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects money allocated to the University hospital of North Durham to tackle MRSA to be spent.

Ann Keen: To support ongoing improvements in improving cleanliness and tackling infections, the comprehensive spending review (CSR) identified 270 million additional funding per year by 2010-11. For 2008-09, this additional funding is reflected in the 5.5 per cent. increase in primary care trust allocations and the 2.3 per cent. uplift to the national tariffthe latter specifically recognising the importance of tackling health care acquired infections and improving cleanliness. Ultimately spending decisions are taken by local trusts.
	The information is not held centrally.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of job retention or an early return to employment on patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the effect of job retention, or an early return to employment, on patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

NHS: Screening

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be screened for  (a) heart disease,  (b) stroke,  (c) diabetes,  (d) kidney disease and  (e) aortic aneurysm in each of the next three years in each primary care trust.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently developing proposals for a screening programme. The purpose of the screening programme will be to identify people's levels of risk for cardiac and vascular disease so that they can be offered preventive measures.
	The number of people who will be screened is by its nature unpredictable, and will depend on the details of what is offered to whom, which will be worked out in part in discussions with stakeholders. However, a range of assumptions about likely take-up levels of a vascular risk assessment programme will be modelled into the analytical work being undertaken by the Department. Assumptions about likely take-up will also form part of the discussions we will have with stakeholders about the development of the practical aspects of the programme.
	With regard to screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm, information on estimated numbers of people who will be screened is not collected centrally.

NHS: Screening

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to encourage high-risk groups to access screening for  (a) heart disease,  (b) stroke,  (c) diabetes,  (d) kidney disease and  (e) aortic aneurysm.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently developing proposals for a screening programme. Any such programme will use an assessment of risk based on a range of known predictive factors including age, gender, smoking status, body mass index, high blood pressure, and cholesterol and glucose, as appropriate. The exact nature of a vascular risk assessment and management programme is still the subject of developmental work. It would be premature at this stage to set out specific details on advertising and education campaigns.
	With regard to screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a variety of information and support materials will be developed with stakeholders to enable men to make an informed choice about whether they wish to undergo AAA screening or possible surgery if an AAA is detected.

NHS: Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the impact on trusts' 18-week targets and two-week cancer treatment times of service and training post vacancies.

Ann Keen: Service transformation, supported by the significant increase in the work force since 1997, new ways of working and productivity gains will enable the 18-week targets and the cancer treatment times to be delivered and sustained.

Nurses: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many matrons were employed in the NHS in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: Modern matrons were identified separately for the first time in the 2005 annual National Health Service workforce census. Community matrons were identified separately for the first time in the 2006 annual NHS Workforce census. The number of both modern and community matrons employed is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  England as at 30 September each year 
			  Headcount 
			   2004  2005 ( 1) 2006 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 375,371 381,257 374,538 
			 Modern matron  1,606 1,982 
			 Community matron   366 
			 (1) More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 9,858 duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census. Although this represents less than 1 per cent. of total records, it should be taken into consideration when making historical comparisons. These 9,858 duplicate records, broken down by main staff group, are: 3,370 qualified nurses; 1,818 qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 2,719 support to doctors and nurses; 368 support to scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 1,562 NHS infrastructure support; and 21 in other areas.

Patients: Safety

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incident types are used for entries in the National Reporting and Learning System in England and Wales.

Ann Keen: The current version of the National Patient Safety Agency's National Reporting and Learning System dataset comprises 15 categories of incident type.
	The 15 categories are
	access, admission, transfer, discharge (including missing patient);
	clinical assessment (including diagnosis, scans, tests, assessments);
	consent, communication, confidentiality;
	disruptive, aggressive behaviour;
	documentation (including records, identification);
	implementation of care and ongoing monitoring/review;
	infection Control Incident;
	infrastructure (including staffing, facilities, environment);
	medical device/equipment;
	medication;
	patient abuse (by staff/third party);
	patient accident;
	self-harming behaviour;
	treatment, procedure; and
	other.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department collects from primary care trusts on hospital at night teams.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect information from primary care trusts on Hospital at Night (H@N) teams. However, we are aware that the H@N team in National Workforce Projects (NWP) has surveyed trusts.
	In the baseline survey of acute trusts, completed in October 2006, 65 per cent. of respondents had completed an audit and identified key competencies needed for their H@N team, and over half the trusts used the National Patient Safety Agency guide to do their risk assessment. This report can be found on NWP's website at
	www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/working_time_directive/wtd_projects/baseline_report.html

Primary Care Trusts: Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual salary is of a primary care trust (PCT) chief executive in England; what the average was in  (a) 2001 and  (b) 2005; how many PCT chief executives received bonuses in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2005; and what the total value of such bonuses in each year was.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect details on the pay of individuals in primary care trusts (PCTs), and we therefore cannot provide the average salary of their chief executives. National health service organisations are public bodies and as such, the pay of their senior executive teams is a matter of public record, published in their annual accounts.
	Following the reconfigurations proposed by Commissioning a patient-led NHS in July 2006 the Department published a new Pay Framework for very senior managers in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts, a copy is available on the Department's website at
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4137432
	PCT chief executives are paid a spot rate salary which is determined (within a range) by the size of the population the PCT serves. The document was updated in July 2007 and is available in the Library and on the Department's website at
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_076986
	The current spot rate salaries are shown in the following table. The framework also provides for the payment of recruitment and retention premiums (of up to 30 per cent. of the spot rate salary) and payments for additional duties (up to 10 per cent. of the spot rate salary) where appropriate.
	
		
			  Spot rates for PCT chief executives in 2007-08 
			   Weighted population  Salary from 1 April 2007  () 
			 Band one Up to 150,000 101,504 
			 Band two 150-300,000 112,211 
			 Band three 300-500,000 122,897 
			 Band four 500,000-1 million 133,584 
			 Band five Over 1 million 144,271 
		
	
	In 2001, PCTs were still being established and there were no nationally set rates for the pay of their chief executives.
	For information, the arrangements for the pay of their chief executives were formalised from 2002 with the publication of Shifting the balance of power: a framework for benchmarking PCT Chief Executive salaries. A copy is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4083023
	
		
			  Salary ranges for PCT chief executives in 2002-03 
			   
			  Population served  Minimum  Midpoint  Maximum 
			 Up to 150,000 78,625 85,000 91,375 
			 150-300,000 87,875 95,000 102,125 
			 300-500,000 92,500 100,000 107,500 
		
	
	The Department issued guidance on pay ranges and each year notified the NHS of the maximum increase in the pay envelope for senior executive staff. Pay increases awarded to individuals may have varied as long as organisations limited the total pay envelope for this staff group to the maximum set by the Department. For the period 2002 to 2005, these were as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2003-04 3.225 
			 2004-05 3.225 
			 2005-06 3.225 
		
	
	By applying these annual uplift levels to the salary ranges published in 2002, an estimate of typical salary levels can be made:
	
		
			  Typical salary ranges for PCT chief executives in 2005-06estimated 
			   
			  Population served  Minimum  Midpoint  Maximum 
			 Up to 150,000 86,480 93,492 100,504 
			 150-300,000 96,654 104,491 112,328 
			 300-500,000 101,741 109,990 118,240 
		
	
	Prior to 2006, PCT chief executives were on local contracts. Although in some cases individuals may have been awarded performance-related awards, there were no national arrangements for the payment of bonuses to PCT chief executives.
	Performance awards were introduced for all PCT chief executives as part of the very senior managers' pay framework published in July 2006.

Queen's Hospital Romford: Doctors

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants were working at Queen's Hospital, Romford in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what steps the Government are taking to increase the number.

Ann Keen: The information requested is held by national health service trust only, and is therefore provided for Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, of which Queen's hospital, Romford is a part. September 2006 is the most recent period for which data are available.
	
		
			  Hospital and community health services: medical and dental consultants working within Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust( 1)  as at 30 September 2006 
			   Consultant (Number, headcount) 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 216 
			 (1) Queens hospital, Romford is contained within this Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust.  Note: Data only available at trust level.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. 
		
	
	There were 32,874 consultants counted in the 2006 census10,500 (49 per cent.) more consultants working in the national health service than there were in 1997. The number of training opportunities is reviewed regularly. However, this is a matter for determination by individual NHS organisations. Forecasts show increasing demand for consultants, with around 2,500 more consultants employed by 2010-11. This reaffirms the Government's commitment to having more specialist doctors overall.

Review Group

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 39, page 37 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, what the dates were of each meeting held by the review group led by Professor Neil Douglas; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of each meeting.

Ann Keen: The group led by Neil Douglas was asked to
	understand what has worked and not worked to date (March 2007);
	identify and promote good practice;
	recommend action to remedy any weaknesses, taking account of legal and operational constraints;
	identify specifically what further action or guidance is required:
	immediately (or before completion of round one);
	before commencement of round two;
	before and subsequent rounds; and
	develop improved arrangements for the support and care of applicants.
	The Department accepted and acted upon recommendations as they were made. The report of the review team can be found at:
	www.mmc.nhs.uk
	Meetings were held on 16 March, 21 March, 26 March, 30 March, 4 April, 17 April, 26 April, 9 May, 17 May, 24 May, 5 June and 28 June. They took place at a critical stage in the development of policy and it therefore would not be appropriate to publish the agenda and minutes of them. In addition, as the meetings began nearly a year ago, they may be misleading in the context of a rapidly changing environment.

Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1194W, on screening, what estimates he has made of the cost of the screening programme in each future financial year for which estimates have been made;
	(2)  how frequently people will be screened under the programme;
	(3)  on what date the right to screening for  (a) heart disease,  (b) kidney disease,  (c) stroke and  (d) diabetes will be implemented (i) for the most vulnerable groups and (ii) for the whole population.

Ann Keen: The Prime Minister announced on 7 January that proposals were under development for a vascular risk programme. A departmental project is currently under way to assess the costs and benefits of an integrated, systematic population-wide vascular risk screening programme.
	We have a piece of modelling work in train which will develop the evidence base on which to construct an integrated approach to vascular risk assessment. The work will include estimating the amount of preventive work currently carried out by general practitioner surgeries and the impact of the introduction of a vascular screening programme.
	The exact nature of a vascular risk assessment and management programme, including details of operations, time scales for implementing the programme and determining the frequency of screening individuals, is still the subject of developmental work.

Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1194W, on screening, what preventive measures will be offered if people are found to be at risk through screening.

Ann Keen: The Prime Minister announced on 7 January that proposals were under development for a vascular risk programme. A departmental project is currently under way to assess the costs and benefits of an integrated, systematic population-wide vascular risk screening programme.
	Clear guidelines already exist for the management of identified risk in relation to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and heart disease. These can be found in the CHD, Diabetes and Renal National Service Frameworks, the National Stroke Strategy, and various relevant pieces of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
	NICE continues to ensure that updated guidance is available to the clinical community.

Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1194W, on screening, which of the tests and measurements referred to relate to  (a) heart disease,  (b) kidney disease,  (c) stroke and  (d) diabetes.

Ann Keen: The Prime Minister announced on 7 January that proposals were under development for a vascular risk programme.
	A departmental project is currently under way to assess the costs and benefits of an integrated, systematic population-wide vascular risk screening programme. This would be focused on the shared risk factors for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease and as such would use an assessment of risk based on a range of known predictive factors including age, gender, smoking status, body mass index, high blood pressure, and cholesterol and glucose, as appropriate.

Speech Therapy: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists are employed by the NHS in Barnet; how many there were in 1997; what the estimated shortfall is of numbers of speech therapists in Barnet; what the average waiting time for a first appointment to see a speech therapist in Barnet was on the latest date for which figures are available; what steps he is taking to improve the provision of speech therapy in Barnet; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community, including the provision of speech and language therapy (SLT).
	Information about waiting times for SLT provided by the national health service is not collected centrally. The Department collects waiting time information by consultant-led specialties. SLT is not a consultant-led speciality. Our objective is to balance the need for data against the burden that data collection places on the NHS.
	There are 6,623 SLTs working in the NHS (NHS staff census September 2006headcount), an increase of 36 per cent. since 1997. The number of SLTs entering training has increased by 65 per cent. since 1998-99.

Terminal Care

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the Marie Curie Delivering Choice programme for terminally ill people to parts of the country not currently served by it.

Ann Keen: We are supportive of Marie Curie Cancer Care's Delivering Choice programme, which provides a good example of the ways in which charities can work with the statutory sector to deliver quality care and patient choice. We are in discussion with Marie Curie on how we can further support the programme, but decisions on whether to fund local programmes remain the responsibility of primary care trusts.

Treatment Centres

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish performance information for each operational independent sector treatment centre.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department published information as shown in the following tables on each wave 1 independent-sector treatment centre (ISTC) scheme, including the contract value, volume of activity, case mix by volume and utilisation rates on 15 November. This is also available on the Departments website at
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Organisationpolicy/Secondarycare/Treatmentcentres/index.htm
	
		
			  ISTC Phase 1 contractual information (as at end of September 2007-08) 
			  Contract  Location  Hospital name  Interim site commencement  Full service commencement  Total nominal contract value  ( million)  Contract utilisation to date  (30-09-07) (Percentage)  Total contracted diagnostics 
			 LP2 Bradford Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre  1 April 2005 37.3 81 88,583 
			 LP3 Burton Midlands NHS Treatment Centre  10 July 2006 77.4 74  
			 LP4 Trent and South Yorkshire Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre  1 April 2005 96.7 89  
			 LP5 Daventry The Birkdale Clinic  1 October 2003 4.9 97  
			 LP7 Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre  1 July 2005 110.3 95  
			 LP8 Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Surgical Centre  19 May 2005 89.5 67  
			 LP9 Plymouth Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre  3 May 2005 58.3 102  
			 GC4* East Cornwall Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre 1 October 2005 1 January 2006 24.9 56  
			 GC4 East Lincolnshire Boston NHS Treatment Centre  20 April 2005 9.1 79 2,259 
			 GC4 North East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Clifton Park NHS Treatment Centre 1 April 2005 25 January 2006 41.3 81  
			 GC4 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear The Cobalt NHS Treatment Centre  25 May 2005 10.3 81  
			 GC4 West Lincolnshire Gainsborough NHS Treatment Centre  1 April 2005 6.1 80 200 
			 GC4 Southampton Capio New Hall Hospital NHS Treatment Centre  1 April 2005 41.8 72  
			 GC4* North Oxford Horton NHS Treatment Centre  1 August 2006 79.2 51  
			 GC4* Thames Valley (Milton Keynes) Blakelands NHS Treatment Centre 1 April 2005 3 July 2006 12.1 58  
			 GC4 Thames Valley (Reading) Capio Reading Hospital NHS Treatment Centre  1 April 2005 14.5 92  
			 GC5E Nottingham Nottingham NHS Treatment Centre at QMC  Site in Mobilisation 201.5 n/a  
			 GC5W Cheshire and Merseyside Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Treatment Centre  1 June 2006 111.0 100  
			 GC5W Kidderminster Kidderminster NHS Treatment Centre  1 February 2005 26.9 87  
			 GC6 Maidstone Mid Kent NHS Treatment Centre  6 November 2006 36.5 101  
			 GC7 North East London North East London NHS Treatment Centre  1 January 2007 107.9 80  
			 GC8 Brighton Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre  1 June 2006 100.9 101  
			 GC8 Havant TBC  Site in Mobilisation 6.4 n/a 78,600 
			 GC8* Medway Will Adams NHS  1 October 2005 26.6 48  
			 GC8 Portsmouth St. Mary's NHS Treatment Centre  19 December 2005 65.3 60 48,546 
			 GC8 Wycombe Mid and South Buckinghamshire NHS  1 August 2005 10.6 82 74,880 
			 OC123 Ophthalmic Chain   25 January 2004 41.6 79  
			 
			  Contractual total1,448.9  293,068 
			  ISTC utilisation to date 84  
		
	
	
		
			Total contracted procedures broken down by health resource group (HRG) chapter 
			  Contract  Location  Total contracted procedures  General surgery  Orthopaedics  Nervous system  Ophthalmology  ENT 
			 LP2 Bradford 28,564 4,703 4,530  407 1,015 
			 LP3 Burton 64,814 6,673 11,908 6,168 16,477 3,590 
			 LP4 Trent and South Yorkshire 21,449  21,449
			 LP5 Daventry 5,155 144 392 319 3,841 217 
			 LP7 Shepton Mallet 56,242 2,000 22,242  12,000  
			 LP8 Greater Manchester 44,863 5,782 20,667   14,351 
			 LP9 Plymouth 16,512  16,512
			 GC4* East Cornwall 26,495 215 40  7,148  
			 GC4 East Lincolnshire 6,955 572   3,401  
			 GC4 North East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 8,638 581 7,621
			 GC4 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 9,551 2,221 
			 GC4 West Lincolnshire 5,647 447 996  1,574 - 
			 GC4 Southampton 13,737  13,737
			 GC4* North Oxford 15,970  15,970
			 GC4* Thames Valley (Milton Keynes) 8,292 260 4,185
			 GC4 Thames Valley (Reading) 5,935 28 3,024
			 GC5E Nottingham 110,683 29,556 10,481 10,634 704 4,452 
			 GC5W Cheshire and Merseyside 24,817  24,817
			 GC5W Kidderminster 9,000  8,355 645   
			 GC6 Maidstone 55,117 4,356 3,560
			 GC7 North East London 56,030 1,580 15,495  8,040 9,415 
			 GC8 Brighton 26,438 141 26,297
			 GC8 Havant   
			 GC8* Medway 19,770 400 6,235
			 GC8 Portsmouth 34,218 4,243 4,854  8,265  
			 GC8 Wycombe   
			 OC123 Ophthalmic Chain 44,73544,735  
			 
			  Contractual total 719,627 63,900 243,367 17,766 106,592 33,040 
			  ISTC utilisation to date   
		
	
	
		
			Total contracted procedures broken down by health resource group (HRG) chapter 
			  Contract  Location  Thoracic procedures  Digestive system  Urology  Gynaecology 
			 LP2 Bradford  10,567 4,168 3,175 
			 LP3 Burton 109 5,405 11,631 2,853 
			 LP4 Trent and South Yorkshire 
			 LP5 Daventry  242   
			 LP7 Shepton Mallet  20,000   
			 LP8 Greater Manchester  3,267 796  
			 LP9 Plymouth 
			 GC4* East Cornwall  14,984 182 3,926 
			 GC4 East Lincolnshire  2,392 590 - 
			 GC4 North East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire  436   
			 GC4 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear  7,330   
			 GC4 West Lincolnshire  1,464 1,166  
			 GC4 Southampton 
			 GC4* North Oxford 
			 GC4* Thames Valley (Milton Keynes)  3,384 321 142 
			 GC4 Thames Valley (Reading)  2,141 271 471 
			 GC5E Nottingham 1,274 40,332 203 13,048 
			 GC5W Cheshire and Merseyside 
			 GC5W Kidderminster 
			 GC6 Maidstone 689 36,862 248 9,402 
			 GC7 North East London  5,590 15,910  
			 GC8 Brighton 
			 GC8 Havant 
			 GC8* Medway  6,065 7,070  
			 GC8 Portsmouth  16,856   
			 GC8 Wycombe 
			 OC123 Ophthalmic Chain 
			   
			  Contractual total 2,072 177,317 42,555 33,017 
			  ISTC utilisation to date 
			  Notes: 1. The total contract value represents the estimated nominal value at the time of signing, calculated in accordance with an estimate of the inflation index as specified in each contract. 2. The contracted activity is indicative only and can vary significantly from actual activity through substitution of higher or lower value procedures across the contract term. 3. Utilisation represents the per cent. value of the contract which has been utilised from contract commencement to the end of September 2007-08. 4. Utilisation per cent. may change following contract reconciliation which occurs at the end of each contract quarter and year. 5. All information provided has been based on the most up to date information at the time of submission. 6. The specialties are referenced to HRG Chapter. General Surgery includes HRG chapters E, G, J, K, P, Q and S. HRG information is available at: www.ic.nhs.uk/casemix. 7. This information is expected to be updated on an annual basis. 8. The Department works with sponsors and providers to ensure optimum utilisation of the contracts. This includes changing the case mix to respond to local need and working with providers and primary care trusts to recover previous under-utilised activity where possible. * In addition to the work we are doing across all ISTCs to improve utilisation we are also taking the following action:  Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre DH is agreeing a contract change to allow the ISTC to treat patients needing diagnostic endoscopies to achieve a two week wait in cancer referrals The provider (Capio) is targeting GPs with a marketing campaign to improve direct referrals  Norton DH is negotiating with the provider to relax the additionality clause so that local NHS surgeons can work in the ISTC out of hours Introducing outreach clinics in nearby towns to improve direct referrals from GPs DH is negotiating to sell unused activity to neighbouring PCTs and adjacent SHA  Blakelands There have been referrals issues in this ISTC but DH agreed a recovery plan and this is now resolved. Utilisation has been averaging 95 per cent. since February 2007  Medway This contract suffered from the turbulence of structural changes in the PCTs, but these are now resolved and utilisation is showing improvement The provider (Mercury) was taken over by Care UK recently and has been negotiating a range of new services which will improve utilisation in the new year The sponsor PCT is negotiating to sell unused activity to neighbouring PCTs 9. If you have any questions relating to this release of information please contact the Department of Health Newsdesk on 0207 210 5221 or for general enquiries phone 0207 210 4850.

JUSTICE

Cambridgeshire Probation Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals were accommodated in the Peterborough city council area under the auspices of the Cambridgeshire Probation Service MAPPA arrangements at  (a) level 1,  (b) level 2 and  (c) level 3 as at 31 December in each year since 2001.

Maria Eagle: The available data is not collated by council area or by parliamentary constituency. Data on offenders in the three levels of the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) are collated geographically by MAPPA area. MAPPA areas are coterminous with police force and probation areas. This data is published in (MAPPA) annual reports which are available in the House Libraries and at
	http://www.probation.justice.gov.uk/output/page30.asp
	The Peterborough city council area is not coterminous with any area, but is covered by the data relating to Cambridgeshire area as published in its MAPPA annual report. MAPPA data are collected on 31 March each year, for the period covering the previous year.
	Figures relating to MAPPA level 3 were not collected until the period covering 2002-03; figures relating to other MAPPA levels were not collected separately until 2004-05.
	
		
			  Cambridgeshire MAPPA statistics (broken down by level/year) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  (a) Level 1 n/a n/a 460 585 561 
			  (b) Level 2 n/a n/a 95 113 160 
			  (c) Level 3 48 2 3 4 4 
			 Total of offenders (1)732 (1)549 558 702 725 
			 (1) Although level 1 and 2 data was not collected, figures on offenders were collected via MAPPA Category during 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service: Data Protection

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the action progressed against the United Kingdom by the European Union for failing to implement European Directive 95/46/EU on the basis that there is no lex forum for a Children and Family Courts Advisory Support Service report to be rectified; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what mechanisms exist to allow litigants to correct inaccuracies in a Children and Family Courts Advisory Support Service report when a family court judge does not order rectification and assertion remains disputed; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the impact of European Directive 95/46/EU on the ability of an individual to correct inaccurate information contained in a Children and Family Courts Advisory Support Service report; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	It is the practice of CAFCASS to ensure that the parties to proceedings in which a CAFCASS officer has been appointed have access to the CAFCASS report before it is presented to the court. Where factual inaccuracies are brought to the attention of the CAFCASS officer, the correct information is included in the report and the error noted in the file. It is also the case that differences of opinion or judgment are routinely reflected in CAFCASS reports. In addition, concerns about the factual accuracy or other aspects of the report (for example, the extent of the inquiries, the opinions expressed in it or matters disputed by the parties) may be raised in court during the course of the proceedings. It is for the court to make findings of fact, based on the evidence before it, including the contents of the CAFCASS report, and to determine the outcome of applications based on those findings. CAFCASS' records include details of the findings and determinations made by the courts.
	Compliance with Article 22 of Directive 95/46/EC is achieved through the Data Protection Act 1998 section 14(1), under the terms of which a data subject can apply to court for rectification, blocking, erasure or destruction of personal data relating to him or her. If the personal data are inaccurate, the court can make an order not only in relation to those data but also any other personal data relating to the applicant containing an expression of opinion which appears to the court to be based on the inaccurate data.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Winter Supplementary Estimates (HC 29), if he will break down his Department's  (a) main estimate and  (b) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (i) near-cash and (ii) non-cash terms.

Maria Eagle: Near-cash and non-cash are essentially used as departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgetary control concepts and are not specifically identified with voted resources in estimates. However, we have been able to break down net total resources for each section in the 'Part II: Subhead' detail table of our main and winter supplementary estimates as follows.
	
		
			  000 
			  Section  Main estimate  Winter supplementary estimate 
			  Spending in (voted) DEL  Near- cash  Non-cash  Total  Near- cash  Non-cash  Total 
			 Headquarters and Associated Offices 414,473 17,994 432,467 544,024 407,532 951,556 
			 Judicial Pension Administration 12  12 12  12 
			 HM Courts Service 705,090 256,040 961,130 745,741 236,583 982,324 
			 Office of the Public Guardian and Court of Protection -1,000 2,100 1,100 -973 2,100 1,127 
			 Costs from Central Funds 45,000  45,000 5,000 40,000 45,000 
			 Tribunals Service 293,942 5,680 299,622 297,249 5,680 302,929 
			 Princess of Wales Inquest 515  515 370  370 
			 Criminal Justice Reform117,379 15,865 133,244 
			 National Offender Management Service HQ647,729 390,383 1,038,112 
			 Prisons Private Sector224,309 23,720 248,029 
			 Prisons Public Sector2,008,902 27,100 2,036,002 
			 Probation HQ57,251 457 57,708 
			 Total RfRl only 1,458,032 281,814 1,739,846 4,646,993 1,149,420 5,796,413 
		
	
	The following table relates to cash grants to the relevant bodies.
	
		
			  000 
			  Non-budget  Main estimate  Winter supplementary estimate 
			 Legal Service Commission 116,800 121,978 
			 Criminal Defence Service 1,172,300 1,153,246 
			 Community Legal Service 860,000 896,354 
			 Information Commissioner's Office 4,999 5,000 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission 5,700 7,130 
			 Parole Board  7,789 
			 National Probation Service (Local area boards)  881,090 
			 Youth Justice Boards  448,881 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority  223,789 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission  6,815 
			 Loan Charges  2,190 
			 Total grant 2,159,799 3,754,262 
		
	
	In addition, the Department provided 2,000 (000s) in capital grants for local authorities in the winter supplementary estimate. Capital grants are treated as resource in the estimate and capital in terms of departmental expenditure limit (DEL).
	In line with the creation of the Ministry of Justice and owing to the machinery of Government changes, a transfer of a number of business areas with funding from the Home Office took effect in the winter supplementary estimate.

House of Lords: Reform

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish a further White Paper on House of Lords reform.

Jack Straw: The Government will publish the White Paper before the summer recess. I am chairing a cross-party group, working to gain consensus from parliamentarians of all parties and of none. We want the White Paper to reflect the results of this group's conclusions.

Law Society: Complaints

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he is investigating complaints made to the Law Society's Legal Complaints Service by miners and their families relating to solicitors making inappropriate deductions from miners' compensation awards, with reference to the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner's report Investigation into the Handling of Coal Health Compensation Scheme Complaints by The Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority, dated 15 January 2008; whether he plans to take other steps in response to that report; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The legal profession is independent, and complaints about solicitors are therefore a matter for the Law Society rather than Government. However, the Government believe that it is important that miners who complain to the Law Society about their claims under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme get the level of service and compensation that they deserve. The Government therefore seek regular updates from the Law Society to ensure that progress is being made in continually improving the service, and are awaiting a detailed response from the Law Society to the LSCC Special Report.
	The Government have legislated in the Legal Services Act 2007 to create an independent Office for Legal Complaints which will remove complaints handling from the legal professional bodies. It will also enable approved regulators to deal more effectively with cases of widespread wrongdoing in the future.

Law Society: Complaints

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps are being taken to  (a) retrain Legal Complaints Service caseworkers on the various options open to miners and  (b) assess the financial implications of each option with reference to the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner's report Investigation into the Handling of Coal Health Compensation Scheme Complaints by The Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority, of 15 January 2008.

Bridget Prentice: The legal profession is independent and complaints about solicitors are therefore a matter for the Law Society rather than Government. The Legal Complaints Service has informed the Ministry of Justice that its staff receive regular ongoing training taking into account feedback from all quarters including the LSCC. The LCS is currently investigating the financial implications of case handling options.
	The Government seek regular updates from the Law Society to ensure that progress is being made in continually improving the service, and are awaiting a detailed response from the Law Society to the LSCC Special Report.
	The Government have legislated in the Legal Services Act 2007 to create an independent Office for Legal Complaints which will remove complaints handling from the legal professional bodies. It will also enable approved regulators to deal more effectively with cases of widespread wrongdoing in the future.

Law Society: Complaints

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will establish an investigation the payments made between solicitors as identified in the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner's recent report on the handling of Coal Health Compensation Schemes and the trade unions which referred cases to them.

Bridget Prentice: The legal profession is independent, and complaints about solicitors' conduct are therefore a matter for the Law Society rather than Government.
	The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has authorised investigations 60 firms of solicitors; 20 firms have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, and the SRA has won the first three disciplinary cases heard there.

Life Imprisonment: Prisoner Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners sentenced to life since 1997 have been released from custody.

Maria Eagle: To provide the information requested would require manual checking of individual records which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost. The Department is developing a new database that will allow it to accurately capture the information requested. The new database is currently going live in the Public Protection Unit, and it is expected that data migration will be completed by April, subject to data quality assurance. The information requested will not be available until April at the very earliest.

Ministry of Justice

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department are working on the central management of change programme  (a) in London and  (b) in each region.

Maria Eagle: A small central team of 13 staff full-time equivalents work in the Department's Centre of Excellence for Programme Management. Among their responsibilities is the management of the Department's change portfolio of programmes and projects. All the Department's agencies and business units are responsible for development and delivery of their own change programmes. Information on the number of people engaged in the management of change is not held centrally within the Department and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. This is because the information is unlikely to be available locally, as it is not required for normal day-to- day operations and change activities are often dispersed nationally across the business units.

National Offender Management Information System

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how the non-roll-out of C-NOMIS to the Probation Service will affect  (a) shared information in real time,  (b) risk management,  (c) managed sentencing and rehabilitation and  (d) efficiency.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Information will not be shared in real-time. However, the proposed data sharing system will update key offender information from HMPS and NFS systems on a daily basis and information will be a maximum of 24 hours out of date. In addition, OASys will also provide, for the first time, a single national database of offenders who fall within the agreed scope of offender management.
	 (b) As now, risk management of offenders is managed through the OASys and e-OASys systems in HMPS and NFS and is not affected by the constrained implementation of C-NOMIS to HMPS only.
	 (c) Managed sentencing and rehabilitation across the gate will continue to be done through the agreed offender management processes, which will be supported by the projects in the NOMIS programme.
	 (d) There will be efficiencies for probation from the projects in the NOMIS programme.

National Offender Management Information System

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many estimated individual offender records relating to offenders held or under supervision by the National Offender Management Service will be on the C-NOMIS system in each of the next 10 years.

David Hanson: As a result of the changes in the newly revised and deliverable NOMIS programme, which will see the C-NOMIS continuing to be rolled out into public prisons but not probation areas, the estimated number of individual offender records to be held on C-NOMIS is currently under review. However, officials are committed to ensuring that there will always be sufficient capacity in C-NOMIS to ensure the successful running of the system.

National Offender Management Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures are being put in place for liaison between probation and prison staff in the end-to-end management of individual offenders.

David Hanson: A range of procedures have been put in place to support the liaison between probation and prison staff. Standards for offender management, which cover both custody and community, have been set. Joint training for the implementation has been provided, common forms have been issued, and single points of contact have been established. All these measures are designed to ensure good information exchange and liaison between prison and probation staff. Full connectivity of the new offender assessment system has been established between probation services and prisons. This enables the offender manager to adopt a joint approach with prison staff to assessment and sentence planning.
	The implementation of end-to-end offender management is overseen by regional implementation groups in all nine regions in England and in Wales. These are composed of strategic and operational managers from prisons and probation, and representatives from regional offender managers' offices.

National Offender Management Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether it is expected that the end-to-end management of offenders will be available for all persons placed on supervision.

David Hanson: Offender management is being implemented in phases with all offenders on community orders and licences and offenders in custody assessed as posing a high/very high risk of serious harm or classified as Prolific or Other Priority serving a determinate sentence of 12 months or more, already covered. Phase 3 began in January 2008 and extended offender management to offenders serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP).

Offenders: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals likely to serve custodial sentences in England and Wales in each year to 2014.

Jack Straw: No separate prison population projection for foreign nationals has been made. The latest published prison population projections were published in August 2007 (Prison population projections 2007-2014 England and Wales, N de Silva, et al., Ministry of Justice, 2007). A copy is available in the Library of the House. In September there were 11,211 foreign national prisoners in prison in England and Wales, 14 per cent. of the total. According to the Council of Europe this is the second lowest proportion of any major western European nation, and compared with 21 per cent. France, 28 per cent. Germany, 42 per cent. Greece, 34 per cent. Italy and 43 per cent. Austria.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison places at  (a) Ashfield,  (b) Forest Bank,  (c) Dovegate,  (d) Rye Hill,  (e) Bronzefield and  (f) Peterborough prisons were (i) constructed and (ii) originally contracted to provide.

David Hanson: The numbers of prison places that were constructed and contracted at the sites mentioned are listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Location  Date of contract for construction  Contractual prison places (including additional prisoner places) 
			 Ashfield 1 July 1998 400 (+40) 
			 Forest Bank 6 July 1998 800 (+240) 
			 Dovegate 27 September 1999 800(1) (+60) 
			 Rye Hill 23 July 1999 600 (+60) 
			 Bronzefield 20 December 2002 430 (+20) 
			 Peterborough 4 February 2003 840 (+180) 
			 (1) 200 therapeutic community places

Prison Sentences

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average length of sentence had been served by each of those serving life sentences who were released from prison in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Information on the average time served by first released lifer prisoners from all prison establishments in England and Wales in each year since 2000 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Mean time served by lifers released from prison on first release in England and Wales 2000-06 
			   Mean time served (in years) 
			 2000 13 
			 2001 13 
			 2002 14 
			 2003 15 
			 2004 14 
			 2005 14 
			 2006 14 
			  Note: Table taken from table 10.5 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006 http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm 
		
	
	If released, life sentence prisoners are on licence for the rest of their lives and liable to recall at any time.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison Service: Training

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers at each prison establishment are trained to use cutting gear designated for dealing with hostage situations; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: No prison officers within establishments are trained in the use of such equipment. This duty is carried out by a specialist team of HMPS staff known as control and restraint (C and R) national instructors.
	There are 21 specialist staff divided between two sites based at Oxford and Doncaster. The role of the C and R centres is to develop and deliver all aspects of legal use of force training within HMPS.
	C and R national instructors are responsible for providing an emergency national tactical response to incidents of concerted indiscipline, hostage intervention and incidents at height.

Prison Staff: Crimes of Violence

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many knife attacks were made on prison staff by prisoners in prisons in 2007.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is set out in the table and subject to important qualifications. The Prison Service Incident Reporting System processes high volumes of data which are constantly being updated. The numbers provide a good indication of overall numbers but should not be interpreted as absolute. There is a slight lag in reporting which means that the provisional number mentioned here will rise a little in the coming months. Assault information is recorded at establishment level in four categories: Prisoner on Prisoner, Prisoner on Officer, Prisoner on Other, and Other. Recording of assaults on prison officers sometimes includes assaults on other prison staff.
	The use of weapons is also recorded at establishment level. Weapons which function as knives are usually manufactured/assembled by prisoners and these artefacts are sometimes also categorised as sharp instruments.
	
		
			  Type of weapon  Prisoner on Officer 
			 Knives/Blades 17 
			 Sharp Instruments 3 
			 2007 total 20 
			  Note: This table does not include data from CNOMIS (offender management information system) sites where data was not available at time of compilation.

Prison Staff: Injuries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many injuries were reported as sustained by prison staff whilst they were off-duty but deemed to be related to the office they held in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Prison Service does not collect this information centrally and it can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Any accidents or incidents that result in injury at or in connection with work are recorded, but not those that occur whilst staff are off-duty. In order to obtain this information it would be necessary to ask every member of staff across the prison estate. Staff may not wish to disclose injuries received while off duty as a result of the office they hold.

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average duration of a prisoner's stay in any one custodial location has been over the last three years.

David Hanson: Information on the length of time prisoners spend in each prison establishment is not held centrally and to gather it would require extensive manual inspection of records, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisoners Transfers

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners convicted of wounding were transferred to open prisons in 2007;
	(2)  how many prisoners convicted for a violent offence were transferred to open prisons before reaching the final 28 days of their sentence in 2007.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 300W.

Prisoners Transfers

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what means his Department ensures that transfers of prisoners to the open estate comply with Prison Service Instruction 17/2007.

Maria Eagle: Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 17/2007, which has been replaced by PSI 46/2007, requires prison governors and directors of contracted prisons to put in place arrangements to conduct categorisation reviews at six-monthly intervals for all prisoners in the last 30 months of their sentence. In closed prisons, categorisation reviews must be carried out following the successful completion of any period of release on temporary licence.
	Governors (and directors of contracted prisons) must ensure that prisoners are only excluded from allocation to open conditions for reasons that are consistent with the normal categorisation and risk assessment process.
	Women prisoners are included in these arrangements. However, prisoners under 18 are not covered by the instruction, and will continue to be placed by the Youth Justice Board.
	Compliance with these mandatory actions is managed via the operational line. The categorisation and allocation process is also subject to external audit procedures.

Prisoners Transfers

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many transfers of high-risk offenders from a  (a) category A and  (b) category B prison to open prisons there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Information on the transfer of prisoners within the prison estate of establishments within England and Wales is not held centrally, and to collect it would require extensive manual inspection of records.
	Prisoners are assessed objectively in a process looking at all aspects of their offending behaviour, actions they have taken to reduce their likelihood of reoffending, and the risk they pose to the public. They are placed in the lowest security category consistent with their assessed risk. Only prisoners placed in the lowest security category (D) may be allocated open conditions.

Prisoners: Protest

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the incidence of dirty protests at each prison establishment in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: A dirty protest is not included in the list of incidents that must be reported to the national operations unit at Prison Service headquarters. Information on the number of dirty protests is not held centrally and could be obtained by contacting each prison only at a disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what regulations there are on prison  (a) construction,  (b) location and  (c) specifications.

David Hanson: The construction of prison buildings is subject to the same regulations as other building construction which include Building Regulations where appropriate, Health and Safety and Fire Regulations and various regulations relating to the provision of utility services. Government policies relating to energy and sustainable development apply including the requirement to achieve the highest BRE assessment method rating of excellent for energy efficiency for each building. Design, Security and Technical specifications and standards produced by NOMS also apply. A proposal to locate and build a new prison on a particular site would be subject to planning procedures. These procedures also apply to the provision of a new building in an existing prison.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what specifications are applicable to  (a) design,  (b) lighting,  (c) furniture,  (d) amenities,  (e) privacy,  (f) ventilation and  (g) space requirements of (i) existing and (ii) new prison places.

David Hanson: NOMS produces a wide range of design, security and technical specifications and standards which cover every aspect of building design, including lighting, furniture, amenities, privacy, ventilation and space requirements. These specifications and standards take account of regulations relating to building construction and also prison security requirements.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the value of the land occupied by each prison in HM Prison Service.

David Hanson: Land values are updated annually. The values are not necessarily the same as what might be obtained if a site was sold on the open market. The sale value will depend on how the site can be marketeda planning consent for residential development will enhance value for exampleand the market forces at the time of the sale. The current land values for prisons within the HM Prison Service are in the following table.
	
		
			  Establishment  Land value at 31 March  () 
			 HMP Acklington 885,000 
			 HMP Albany 8,000,000 
			 HMP Ashwell 1,000,000 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange 2,000,000 
			 HMP/YOI Aylesbury 5,800,000 
			 HMP Bedford 1,300,000 
			 HMP Belmarsh 31,500,000 
			 HMP Birmingham 7,800,000 
			 HMP Blakenhurst Site incl with Brockhill 
			 HMP Blantyre House 1,750,000 
			 HMP Blundeston 166,000 
			 HMYOI Brinsford Site incl with Featherstone 
			 HMP Bristol 4,150,000 
			 HMP Brixton 7,000,000 
			 HMP Brockhill 2,225,000 
			 HMP Buckley Hall 4,500,000 
			 HMP Bullingdon 180,000 
			 HMP/YOI Bullwood Hall 545,000 
			 HMP Camp Hill 2,750,000 
			 HMP Canterbury 2,000,000 
			 HMP/RC Cardiff 4,650,000 
			 HMP/YOI Castington 430,000 
			 HMP Channings Wood 2,170,000 
			 HMP/YOI Chelmsford 12,000,000 
			 HMP Coldingley 14,725,000 
			 HMP Cookham Wood 10,000,000 
			 HMP Dartmoor n/a Leased Site 
			 HM/YOI Deerbolt 3,500,000 
			 HMP Dorchester 1,400,000 
			 HMP Downview 31,650,000 
			 HMP/YOI Drake Hall 420,000 
			 HMP Durham 670,000 
			 HMP/YOI East Button Park 2,250,000 
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 265,000 
			 HMP Elmley Site incl. with Standford Hill 
			 HMP Erlestoke 2,000,000 
			 HMP Everthorpe 5,000,000 
			 HMP/YOI Exeter 1,900,000 
			 HMP Featherstone 1,650,000 
			 HMP/YOI Feltham 40,000,000 
			 HMP Ford 17,500,000 
			 HMP Foston Hall 800,000 
			 HMP Frankland 3,175,000 
			 HMP Full Sutton 6,750,000 
			 HMP Garth 1,220,000 
			 HMP Gartree 600,000 
			 HMP/YOI Glen Parva 22,000,000 
			 HMP/YOI Gloucester 1,210,000 
			 HMP Grendon 8,400,000 
			 HMP/YOI Guys Marsh 1,275,000 
			 HMP Haverigg 880,000 
			 HMP Hewell Grange Site incl.with Brockhill 
			 HMP High Down Site incl.with Downview 
			 HMP/YOI Highpoint 555,000 
			 HMYOI Hindley 10,000,000 
			 HMP Hollesley Bay 350,000 
			 HMP/YOI Holloway 8,500,000 
			 HMP Holme House 2,800,000 
			 HMP Hull 4,200,000 
			 HMYOI Huntercombe 6,000,000 
			 HMP Kingston 4,420,000 
			 HMP Kirkham 3,100,000 
			 HMP Kirklevington Grange 830,000 
			 HMP Lancaster n/a Leased Site 
			 HMP/YOI Lancaster Farms 1,425,000 
			 HMP Latchmere House 7,500,000 
			 HMP Leeds 7,000,000 
			 HMP Leicester 1,450,000 
			 HMP/YOI Lewes 2,000,000 
			 HMP Leyhill 2,000,000 
			 HMP Lincoln 5,000,000 
			 BMP Lindholme 14,000,000 
			 HMP Littlehey 3,680,000 
			 HMP Liverpool 2,800,000 
			 HMP Long Lartin 1,390,000 
			 HMYOI Low Newton 650,000 
			 HMP Maidstone 5,600,000 
			 HMP Manchester 4,200,000 
			 HMP Moorland Open (Hatfield) 2,100,000 
			 HMP/YOI Moorland Closed Site incl.with Lindholme 
			 HMP Morton Hall 3,000,000 
			 HMP The Mount 4,000,000 
			 HMP/YOI New Hall 3,500,000 
			 HMYOI Northallerton 1,500,000 
			 HMP North Sea Camp 250,000 
			 HMP/YOI Norwich 5,300,000 
			 HMP Nottingham 5,100,000 
			 HMYOI Onley 1,165,000 
			 HMP Parkhurst 4,500,000 
			 HMP Pentonville 9,700,000 
			 HMYOI Portland 6,750,000 
			 HMP/YOI Prescoed 200,000 
			 HMP Preston 1,925,000 
			 HMP Ranby 6,500,000 
			 HMYOI RC Reading 3,645,000 
			 HMP Risley 120,000 
			 HMP Rochester Site incl.with Cookham Wood 
			 HMP Send 15,350,000 
			 HMP Shepton Mallet 800,000 
			 HMP Shrewsbury 1,085,000 
			 HMP Spring Hill 285,000 
			 HMP Stafford 2,300,000 
			 HMP Standford Hill 9,500,000 
			 HMP Stocken 1,750,000 
			 HMYOI Stoke Heath 405,000 
			 HMP/YOI Styal 650,000 
			 HMP Sudbury 1,560,000 
			 HMP Swaleside Site incl.with Standford Hill 
			 HMP Swansea 1,150,000 
			 HMYOI Swinfen Hall 510,000 
			 HMYOI Thorn Cross 6,256,000 
			 HMP Usk 1,075,000 
			 HMP The Verne 6,250,000 
			 HMP Wakefield 8,500,000 
			 HMP Wandsworth 13,000,000 
			 HMYOI Warren Hill 66,000 
			 HMP Wayland 6,650,000 
			 HMP Wealstun 11,250,000 
			 HMP Wellingborough 1,281,000 
			 HMYOI Wellington 238,000 
			 HMYOI Wetherby 6,000,000 
			 HMP Whatton 625,000 
			 HMP Whitemoor 2,510,000 
			 HMP Winchester 8,940,000 
			 HMP Woodhill 11,500,000 
			 HMP Wormword Scrubs 30,150,000 
			 HMP Wymott 2,015,000 
			 Totals 592,397,000

Probation Officers

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate what percentage of  (a) probation officer and  (b) probation service officer time was spent in direct contact with offenders in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: All probation staff in the NFS are employed by the relevant Probation Board, which is responsible for managing workload allocation. It is therefore not possible to provide information at this level. Information is, however, collected on the number of staff employed in offender management roles.
	The following table shows the number of staff working in an offender management role from 2003 onwards. Data prior to 2003 were collated by a different source and were incomplete in some categories. They are therefore not directly comparable with the figures collected since that time.
	
		
			  Role  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  Increase (2003-07) 
			 Number of staff in offender management role 17,551.20 17,771.71 18,630.41 19,155.90 18,706.47  
			 Percentage 91.79 91.03 90.69 89.81 89.82 6.58 
			
			 Number of staff in other roles 1,570.60 1,751.27 1,911.65 2,173.08 2120.86  
			 Percentage 8.21 8.97 9.37 10.19 10.18 35.04 
			
			 Total number of staff 19,121.80 19,522.98 20,542.06 21,328.98 20,827.33  
			 Percentage 100 100 100 100 100 8.92

Probation: Finance

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much of the money budgeted for the end-to-end offender management roll-out was allocated to each probation area in 2007-08; and how that allocation was decided.

David Hanson: A total of 3.7 million was distributed to probation areas in 2007-08 to cover the costs of phases 2 and 3 of the roll-out of end-to-end offender management in those years. Phase 2, which began in November 2006, was the first phase to cross the custody/community boundary and covers high risk of harm and Prolific Offenders. Phase 3 began in January 2008 and covers offenders serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection.
	The costs are estimated using a model developed in NOMS by staff with experience of probation processes, which has been subject of consultation with probation managers. The national figure as calculated using the model was distributed to probation areas using a well- established formula, whose main component is the population in the probation area in question. The actual sums distributed are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Offender management funding 
			  Probation area  Total 2007-08 ( million) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0.083 
			 Bedfordshire 0.038 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.044 
			 Cheshire 0.062 
			 Cumbria 0.037 
			 Derbyshire 0.063 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0.090 
			 Dorset 0.035 
			 Durham 0.048 
			 Essex 0.086 
			 Gloucestershire 0.032 
			 Hampshire 0.108 
			 Hertfordshire 0.052 
			 Humberside 0.075 
			 Kent 0.097 
			 Lancashire 0.104 
			 Leicestershire 0.064 
			 Lincolnshire 0.042 
			 Norfolk 0.050 
			 Northamptonshire 0.042 
			 North Yorkshire 0.044 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.083 
			 Staffordshire 0.071 
			 Suffolk 0.041 
			 Surrey 0.040 
			 Sussex 0.077 
			 Teesside 0.055 
			 Thames Valley 0.104 
			 Warwickshire 0.029 
			 West Mercia 0.068 
			 Wiltshire 0.037 
			 Greater Manchester 0.210 
			 Merseyside 0.126 
			 Northumbria 0.126 
			 South Yorkshire 0.107 
			 West Midlands 0.241 
			 West Yorkshire 0.173 
			 London 0.568 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0.037 
			 Gwent 0.051 
			 North Wales 0.051 
			 South Wales 0.108 
			 Total 3.699

Probation: Northumbria

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect of budget reductions on the support provided for offenders as a result of budget cuts in the Northumbria probation area.

Maria Eagle: The Northumbria probation area, in conjunction with the regional offender manager for the North East will determine the quantity and quality of services to be provided in the forthcoming year. This will be through service level agreements between the board and the regional offender manager. Northumbria's budget will increase from 25,484 million to 25,995 million, by 2.01 per cent. between 2007-08 and 2008-09. In addition, its three-year corporate plan includes a programme of cash savings of up to 1.3 million from its non-staffing budget.

Probation: Northumbria

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to prevent reductions in the budget for Inventory of Offenders programmes in the Northumbria probation area.

Maria Eagle: Any reduction in budget for Inventory of Offenders programmes in the Northumbria area will be with agreement with the regional offender manager for the North East, through service level agreements and the board will look to deliver against the targets set both nationally and through the regional offender manager. Northumbria's budget will increase from 25,484 million to 25,995 million by 2.01 per cent., between 2007-08 and 2008-09. In addition, its three year corporate plan includes a programme of cash savings of up to 1.3 million from their non staffing budget.

Public Appointments

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what additional responsibilities the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston has taken up since her appointment as Ministerial Champion for Women and Criminal Justice.

Maria Eagle: As Ministerial Champion for Women and Criminal Justice matters, I lead on implementation of the commitments made in the Government's response to the Corston report. I will ensure that the actions to address issues for women are given the necessary priority, and that commitments are delivered across Departments. I have convened a ministerial sub-group which met for the first time on 23 January 2008, and will meet on a monthly basis and drive forward the cross-departmental work that will be key to successful delivery. This sub-group will report to the Reducing Re-offending Inter-Ministerial Group as the governing body.

Reoffenders

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what proportion of those entering prisons in England and Wales to serve a custodial sentence in 2006 had served a custodial sentence previously;
	(2)  what percentage of those given a custodial sentence had  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three or more previous community sentences in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The information requested is not available in this form. In previous years information has been published annually in Sentencing Statistics showing the average number of previous convictions/cautions by type of current sentence; the most recently published is for 2005.
	My Department is currently conducting a review of the data and methods used to compile these figures, and it is hoped that figures for 2006 and revised figures for earlier years will be published on the Ministry's website later this year.

Whitemoor Prison

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations have been received by  (a) HM Prison Service,  (b) officials at his Department and  (c) Ministers on the conduct of Governor Steve Rodford at HM Prison Whitemoor; what action has been taken in consequence; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: It is not Prison Service policy to comment on individual members of staff.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Democratic Republic of Congo

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the UK will provide for the implementation of the Kivu peace accord and the ending of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is already providing significant humanitarian and security and justice sector support which will help with the implementation of the peace accord in Kivu. Further support is being considered.

The Maghreb

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with EU colleagues on ways of strengthening civil society in the countries of the Maghreb.

Shahid Malik: I have not had direct discussions with EU counterparts about strengthening Maghreb civil society. I am aware of my hon. Friend's considerable and active interest in the region. DFID supports the Maghreb countries through significant multilateral contributions: support to Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco amounted to over 40 million in 2005. Working closely with the FCO, we encourage the European Commission to engage civil society in its policies and programmes.

Elections

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to promote free and fair elections in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: We have provided, and will continue to provide, support to promote free and fair elections in a range of developing countries including, for example, the 8 million to support the 2007 successful elections in Sierra Leone. The Department also provided 25 million for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) elections during 2006-07our largest contribution to date to a national electionand 6 million to support the last elections in Nigeria. We are already providing support for forthcoming elections in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sudan and Malawi.

Pakistan

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is undertaking with local government in Pakistan.

Shahid Malik: DFID support for local government in Pakistan focuses on service delivery, capacity building and governance. Specific assistance is being given to the provinces of Punjab and North West Frontier and the federally administered tribal areas. In addition, support is being provided for national programmes to improve local capacity and the use of district funds and to increase participation of citizens, especially women, in decision making processes. In total we have committed 84 million for these programmes.

Africa

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the use of UK development funds in the poorest countries in Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development receives a wide variety of representations on the use of UK development funds in poor African countries, including from African Governments, regional institutions, the International Financial Institutions, other donors, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and members of the public. Assisting the poorest African countries is a priority of this Government, as it is critical for achievement of the millennium development goals.

Overseas Aid

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) country assistance and  (b) regional assistance plans his Department expects to (i) produce and (ii) renew in the next 18 months.

Douglas Alexander: DFID's country and regional plans are produced every three to five years, unless significant changes in the external environment, such as a major political change, necessitate an earlier or later review. They are mandatory for programmes over 20 million a year, but can also be commissioned for smaller programmes in proportion to expenditure. In the next 18 months DFID currently expects to produce 19 country plans; eight in Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam), nine in Africa (Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, DRC, Sudan, Rwanda) and two in the Middle East (Palestine and Yemen). These figures are based on current plans and may be subject to changes in country circumstances.

Pakistan: Education

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes he has co-financed in Pakistan to promote the education of women and girls since 2004.

Shahid Malik: DFID has co-financed programmes with UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank to promote the education of women and girls in Pakistan since 2004.
	The sum of 6 million was committed in 2006 to UNDP's Gender Support Programme (2006-11). This includes training of women in the garment industry, training of women councillors, and support to improve the way in which education sector budgets address gender issues.
	Another 3.5 million was committed in 2007 to UNICEF's Gender Education Policy Support Project which is supporting the development and promotion of policies that address the problem of gender disparity in Pakistan's education system.
	A further 0.7 million was also committed in 2007 to support a World Bank project to establish a National Education Assessment System that has significant gender components. DFID funds are helping to improve education policy by assessing gender differences in learning achievements in both primary and secondary education.

St Helena: Airports

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on the building of an airport on St Helena; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: We have received two bids which we are evaluating. We expect to reach a decision in the second quarter of the year.

Zambia: Floods

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has offered to the Government of Zambia and neighbouring states to manage the consequences of recent flooding in the region.

Gillian Merron: In Zambia, an initial assessment in six districts in Southern Province shows that almost 4,500 houses have collapsed, and almost 3,500 additional households have been affected. The Zambia Government is indicating that it have the resources to respond to the needs in the assessed areas, with support from in-country private sector donations. They have already provided 15,000 mT of maize for response during 2007-08, and have released $3.5 million for the procurement of relief items such as tents, blankets and mosquito nets.
	In neighbouring Mozambique, DFID has provided some 97,000, through Save the Children, for the delivery of emergency water and sanitation to 10,000 affected people. The UN is also drawing on the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for priority operations in the humanitarian response. DFID is the biggest contributor to the CERF, having provided 40 million in 2008. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched a preliminary appeal for $7.3 million to address the immediate humanitarian needs of up to 150,000 people across the region. DFID is finalising its response to this appeal.
	Assessments of the situation by Government, UN and NGO agencies are ongoing, and DFID continues to monitor the situation closely. We will respond as unmet humanitarian needs are identified.